Full Circle Again
by OlitzMe
Summary: The thing is, I needed therapy after that Scandal Season 2 finale so here it is. This picks up where 2x22 left off. I will continue, but not sure just yet how long it will be. Thanks for all the great feedback so far.
1. Chapter 1

**I own nothing except my active imagination. Scandal and all of its wonderful characters belong to the phenomenal Shonda Rhimes.**

** The thing is, I needed therapy after that season 2 finale so here it is. Not sure if I'll continue or not, but let me know what you think.**

"Dad?"

Olivia sat opposite the man she had tried to distance herself from for most of her adult life. She knew he lived and worked around the D.C. metro area but tried very hard not to think about it. She hadn't seen nor heard from him in over seven years and had to wonder if the melee outside her apartment wasn't orchestrated by him. She would almost be disappointed if it wasn't him. That's what he did. He destroyed whatever he could in her life.

He studied her closely for several moments before he spoke. She looked so much like her mother. She acted just like her also, which is why he knew she'd jump into bed with Jake when he gave the younger man orders to bed her. He had worked hard for everything he had and to provide a roof over the heads of his young family. When he came home that day and found his wife in bed with the neighbor, he lost it. He never spoke of that day, and Olivia was the only witness to his meltdown, but when he noticed her in the hallway it was too late to do anything about what she'd seen and heard. That was the day he lost his wife and daughter, not to mention a neighbor. He'd decimated the poor man and came close to killing his wife, but he hadn't.

Olivia also took the time to examine her father. He was grayer around the edges but still a hard ass who cared for nothing and no one but himself. Growing up she'd had her suspicions about what he did for a living. The late night exits and clandestine phone calls always piqued her interest, but **that** day it was all made clear. She watched him kill their neighbor and then clean it up as if nothing had happened. When he made a move toward her mother, Olivia made her presence known, knowing, or at least hoping that it would spare her mother the same fate. He didn't kill her mother, not that day anyway. He did it slowly, with intimidation and long menacing stares. Her mother was afraid for the last two years of her life. Olivia was always sure she had died of a broken heart.

Oliva was the one to find her mother immobile with ashen skin after a rainy school day. Truth be told, she had expected to find her mother dead one day, but she was always sure it would be at the hand of her father. He never really spoke to them after the incident. He moved a housekeeper in to take care of Olivia for the next few years, but he'd pretty much checked out. Rosa was a dream, a national of Ecuador and all around good person. She was also a fantastic cook. That's where Olivia picked up much of her Spanish, but she kept her distance from Rowan after the incident. She adopted her mother's maiden name as her own as soon as she was legally able and decided to move on with her life. She kept in touch with Rosa until the woman passed away several years ago. She had been alone since then. After Rowan didn't bother showing up for her high school graduation, she essentially stopped all contact with him.

Olivia had earned a full ride scholarship to George Washington Univ. so she no longer needed him. That was the way she tried to live her life, not needing anyone. But the world is a big place and alone gets lonely sometimes. She'd been on her own until she met Huck. They sort of clung to each other as only two lonely souls could. She worked hard and pushed herself to get where she was. Sure she had help here and there, with Cyrus being one of the main ones she could turn to, especially when she was younger, but Liv was no fool. She knew how the world worked. Her father had taught her well. She sighed when she looked at the man who had changed the trajectory of her life. Whether he knew it or not, he made sure that Olivia would never let anyone get as close to her as her mother had let him get. She couldn't be bothered. That's why she'd sent the love of her life back to his conniving wife. She couldn't take the chance that Fitz would turn into her father.

A nagging little voice in the back of her mind kept trying to push down the wall she'd erected. It tried to tell her that Fitz and Rowan were light years apart but she wouldn't budge, especially after learning that Fitz had killed Verna. Olivia couldn't afford to let her guard down. She would not turn out like her mother. Men were good for pleasure. Everything else she could handle on her own.

She straightened herself up in the seat and looked the man up and down. "What is it that you wanted?"

A smirk spread across his face. She had adopted the great Olivia Pope attitude but he knew how to bring her down a peg or two.

He cleared his throat and adopted the same business like manner. "I want to know why you're whoring your way around the white house. There aren't enough available men in D.C. for you to spread your legs for?"

She could only shake her head. He was such a sad little man. She truly loved Fitz, but she doubted her father had ever really known that feeling. "There are enough men to go around, in fact, I'd like to thank you for the one you sent my way. I enjoyed him."

He snorted in disbelief. "You're just like your mother."

She shook her head again. "No. Growing up with you helped me get my priorities straight. I have no need to tie myself to a small minded, psychotic man who abandons me for the thrill of taking others lives and then blames me for his short comings."

"You watch your mouth."

"Or what? You're going to kill me like you did Mr. Spencer? Or did you prefer to slowly torture me over the course of time like you did to mom?"

"Your mother was a whore."

"My mother was a lonely woman who had really bad taste in men. She was beautiful and smart and she deserved better than you."

"She got what she deserved."

Olivia nodded in agreement. "She did. She finally found a man who knew how to love her, but then you took him away from her. She was only allowed to be miserable as long as you were alive, right? Did you know that Mr. Spencer was an excellent cook? He was such a great guy. He used to make us laugh all the time. It was completely different than when you were home."

Rowan leaned forward as the veins on the top of his head began to pulsate. "Shut. Your. Mouth."

She smiled slyly. "Again, you called this little meeting and I have yet to hear why."

"You know, your mother was a bitch too."

"Apparently not enough of one. What. Do. You. Want?"

He leaned back into the plush leather seat and smiled. He had one card left to play that he knew would get to her. "You really want to watch how you talk to me. Your little friend, what's he calling himself these days, Huck? He could disappear at any time."

She took a deep breath and leaned toward him to make sure he caught every word she was about to unload on him. "Touch him and your life will change for the worse. Besides Mr. Spencer, I've got plenty of names of people who've disappeared around D.C. over the last twenty or so years. People that you were the last to see. People who had no association to the government whatsoever. Did you really want the higher ups at the department of defense to know that the head of B613 is a psychopathic serial killer, who likes to murder people for the hell of it?"

When he didn't answer, she reached for her headphones.

When he spoke again, he almost sounded contrite. "I was just trying to look after my daughter."

"You don't have a daughter. And just so we're clear, if anything happens to Huck, me, or any member of my team, and there's any inkling that you were involved, I've already made plans for your murderous history to go public. And please don't worry about my love life any longer. You taught me that powerful men can't be trusted. I've ended it with the president and I'll likely end it with whoever the next guy is also."

Olivia unlocked her door when the limo came to a stop at a red light. "Have a good life Rowan." She hopped out and easily made her way to the safety of the nearest sidewalk before traffic started moving again. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Huck.

"Hi, I'm at Haynes Point and I need a ride back to the office."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for the great feedback. I appreciate every one of you! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Huck stood quickly and grabbed his keys. "Um, you probably don't want to come to the office right now. There are a million reporters camped outside."

Olivia sighed heavily. She should have known that. She'd hoped to have a little leeway but things weren't going her way this morning. "Fine. Just grab my overnight bag from my closet and come get me. We can figure out the next move when you get here. And Huck, take the…"

"Alley. I know. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Fitz straightened his tie and tried to lay down the unruly curl that always seemed to have a mind of its own. When Liv had walked away from him yesterday for the umpteenth time he thought he might not recover, but as he was walking back to the residence with his tail between his legs, a thought occurred to him. He knew Olivia loved him. He had no doubt about that. But before he went to sleep, it came to him that Liv was running for a reason. All he needed to do was figure out why.

Mellie watched her handsome husband from the doorway with a smirk on her lovely face. She wondered how many times would it take for that woman to kick him in his front teeth before he realized that Olivia really didn't want him.

"So your whore left you again, huh?"

"She's not a whore. She's my life and I'll get her back."

Mellie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Have you lost your ever-loving mind? She's made a fool of you… again… and you're just going to let her? Face it Fitz, she's damaged. You need to cut your losses and move on."

"No, and honestly Mellie, jealousy doesn't become you. Maybe you should be taking your own advice."

She threw her hands up in a huff. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Just what it sounds like. You should cut your losses and move on."

"What is wrong with you?!" She screeched the question at the top of her lungs, not caring who heard.

He turned calmly to face his wife. "Mellie, I know you have absolutely no capacity to understand what I'm about to say, but I'm going to try anyway. I'm in love, and it's the kind of thing you don't get over easily. So, yes, she ran, but I know she loves me so I know she ran for a reason. I'm going to find out why and then I'm going to get the love of my life back."

"Fitz…"

"No. Mellie, I'm not going through this with you again. Put together a proposal on whatever issue you want to champion for the rest of this term, along with a plan to claim your seat in the senate during the next election and have it on my desk by tomorrow morning so I can get some people on it."

He left her standing with her mouth open and made his way down to the oval office. He smiled at his secretary on the way in. "Good morning, Loren."

"Good morning, Mr. President. How are you today?" She had to ask, because she was never sure what kind of mood he was going to be in when Olivia Pope was the last person he saw the day before.

"I am great. Better than great actually."

Loren smiled with relief. "That's wonderful sir. There's a stack of papers on your desk that the senate majority leader sent over late last night."

"Really? Edison must've been burning the midnight oil." He whistled a little tune as he walked into the office and shut the door behind him.

Cyrus was seated on the couch with his head between his hands and he didn't look well. "Cy? You really should be back in the hospital. You look like you're about to pass out."

"Did Mellie do this?"

Fitz's left brow shot up. "Did Mellie do what?"

Cyrus pointed to the large monitor that was on mute. A mob of reporters were camped outside Olivia's apartment. The caption on the bottom of the screen read: **President's Mistress Outed As Former Press Secretary Olivia Pope.**

Cyrus shook his head solemnly. "I can't reach her. I don't know where she is."

Fitz walked toward the screen with a frown. "Mellie wouldn't do this. She wouldn't jeopardize her standing as first lady to out Olivia. And Olivia's probably just laying low."

Cyrus's eyes were on the verge of overflowing. "Sir, the thing you don't get is that there are some very powerful people who don't want you two together."

Fitz turned to look at his friend. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Someone tried to kill her the other night."

Fitz grabbed the back of the closest chair. "WHAT? Why didn't you tell me?"

"She was safe. When the secret service agent I sent over to her house told me that her door had been kicked in and there was blood splattered on the wall and she was missing, I rushed to her office."

"Was she…?"

"She was there and she was safe. Shaken but safe. She didn't say it but I got the feeling that your friend Captain Ballard had something to do with keeping her safe and getting her to the office."

"That's why she broke it off, again." Fitz spoke quietly to himself.

"Sir, she broke it off because I explained the gravity of the situation to her. Someone is willing to kill one or both of you to keep you apart. I told her to move on."

"Cyrus, I can't live without her. I knew there had to be a reason. She was trying to protect us, but I might as well be dead if she's not here with me."

"Loren!" Fitz didn't bother using the intercom, he just hollered out as loud as he could.

She rushed into the office with wide eyes. "Yes, sir? What is it?"

"I need Jake Ballard in here right now, like yesterday."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Olivia sat around with her team in a small hotel room. They had driven out of the city and into a more rural part of Virginia, several hours away from reporters and prying eyes.

Harrison's face was set in stone. "We need to figure out who leaked it."

Olivia moved her head from side to side. "It doesn't matter who leaked it. We just need to deal with what's out there."

Huck had the presence of mind to grab a few laptops along with Liv's overnight bag. Every team member had a computer in front of them. They'd been watching the news all morning and it didn't look good for Liv or for OPA.

Abby looked around at everyone. "It's going to be hard to know what to do until the white house issues an official statement."

Quinn nodded. "Right and we can't shut anything down from here in the boondocks."

Liv's phone rang just then. She knew it was Fitz from the caller ID.

"Hi."

Fitz breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Where are you? Are you okay? Tell me and I'll come get you"

"I'm fine. I'm safe. I'm with my team. We're away from the city. You need to issue a statement denying the allegations."

"Liv, it wouldn't be safe to do that if we don't know if they have proof. If whoever leaked the information provides proof after we deny it, all hell is going to break loose. Tell me where you are and I'll come and get you."

"Fitz, I cant."

"Yes you can. Cyrus told me about the attempt on your life the other night. Why didn't you tell me? I can keep you safe."

The laugh that escaped Olivia was unintentional. She took a deep breath and tried to get him to calm down. She knew she had put her father off this morning, but he was always around, always watching. "Fitz, I'm not coming back."

"The hell you aren't!"

"Fitz…"

Huck pointed to his watch to remind Liv that she needed to get off the phone right away in case Fitz was tracing the call. If he was, a few more seconds would pinpoint her location and they'd have to move again.

"I'm sorry. I have to go."

She hung up quickly and handed Huck her cell phone. He removed the battery as Olivia looked at her team. "You guys should go back. I don't know how long OPA will be in existence. But at least go tie up any loose ends and clean out your offices, in case…"

Harrison stood. "We're on it."

Huck didn't move. "I'm not going anywhere."

When the rest of the team cleared out Olivia stood and tried to catch her breath. Her stomach lurched and she ran toward the bathroom. She'd been feeling sick since she'd stepped out of the limo this morning, and while her father normally had that effect on her, she honestly wasn't sure what was going on. At least she didn't want to think too hard about it. She walked out of the bathroom patting her face with a cool, wet towel.

"Huck, I need a favor."

"Anything."

"We passed a drugstore about five miles back. Can you go back there and pick up a home pregnancy test please?"

* * *

"Tom!" Fitz hollered out again and the agent came running.

"Yes sir?"

"I need you to trace Ms. Pope's cell phone. Triangulate and get me a location."

"Yes, sir. I'm on it."

When Tom closed the door behind him Fitz took a seat next to Cyrus. "Go home Cyrus."

"Sir…"

"That's an order, Cyrus. You look like crap. Don't come back here today. Take a few days if you need to."

The older man exhaled wearily and stood. He loosened his tie and looked down at his Commander in Chief. He was getting too old for this crap. "I think I will."

"Of course you will. Feel better."

"Loren!" He hollered out once more.

"Yes sir?" She spoke as she crossed the threshold to the office.

"Where are we on getting Captain Ballard in here?"

"Well, I just got off the phone with his office and apparently he's been sent on some covert mission with no return date. No one seemed to know how to reach him."

"Tell whoever needs to hear it that his mission has just been canceled by order of the president. I don't care if he's flying over enemy airspace right now. Tell them to turn the damn plane around. I want him here as soon as possible."

"Yes sir."

When he was alone Fitz took a seat behind the desk and picked up the stack of papers and files Loren had left for him to read through and sign. He glanced over at the mute monitor, seeing even more reporters gathering in front of Liv's home and now office, before shutting it off completely. He hadn't meant for this to happen, not this way exactly. When he had Tom leak Olivia's name to the press late last night, he thought it would force her hand and push her closer to him. He should have known better. This was Olivia Pope and he knew she meant it when she said she wasn't coming back. But what Olivia and Mellie and Cyrus didn't understand was that he could not let her go. He'd had the pleasure of waking up next to her the other morning and he would not settle for anything less than that. Not anymore. Fitz would never let her go. Not ever again.

**Okay guys, that's it for now. I'll try to update once a week from here on out. Let me know what you think of this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I love the gladiators so much! You guys rock. Thank you so much for the reviews and follows. Like a lot of you, I prefer a desperate, non-thinking Fitz to a weak Fitz any day. But Shonda and the scandal writers gave us absolute brillance for the first 2 seasons, so I'll be in front of my TV in Sept. to see where they take it. It also made me smile that someone caught the smirk at the end of the season finale. I could've sworn I saw Fitz do a smirk in Mellie's lap in the last shot, but was told that I was crazy bcuz he was just distraught. But after seeing some comments on Twitter and reading the reviews here, I see a few other people's minds went the same way too, so that's why the story is progressing the way it is. (For those who want to review the final scene, scandalousgladiators has a clip on YouTube. Just search [Scandal 2x22 End/Last Scene "White Hat's Back On" S2 Finale Ending Olivia & Dad Mistress Outed HD] Okay, enough rambling from me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Fitz slammed down the phone just as Cyrus walked into the office. Loren hadn't gotten anywhere with trying to locate Jake yesterday and Tom was unable to track Olivia through her cell phone. He was completely frustrated.

"What's wrong?" Cyrus walked in and took a seat on the sofa.

"No one seems to know where Jake is. After pushing all morning, the only thing I've got is a name, and I'm not even sure he's real because he seems to have disappeared like Jake."

"What's the name?"

"Rowan."

Cy shook his head. "It figures."

"What figures?" Fitz stood and walked around the desk to have a seat next to Cyrus. "What are you not telling me?"

"What do you know about B613?"

Fitz frowned as he tried to recall the few details he'd heard long ago. "They're a small wing of the CIA; a black ops section that takes care of international terrorist incidents."

Cyrus moved his head left to right and back again to indicate that the answer was close enough. "They handle international and domestic incidents."

Both eyebrows shot up. "Domestic?" Fitz popped up from the sofa and took a few steps before turning to face his friend. "Are you telling me that Jake is a part of this group?"

Cyrus shrugged. "It's hard to know for sure. There's no official roster with B613 names just sitting around anywhere, but I wouldn't be surprised. Anyway, if he is a part of that group, you should just leave it alone."

Fitz sat down again. He forced air into his lungs as he looked Cyrus in the eyes. "Again, what are you not telling me?"

"Let's just say I've met Rowan and he is not someone you want to mess with." Cyrus stood and walked over to the door. "I've got to get to a meeting that's across town and starts in thirty minutes and you've got a 10:00 a.m. video conference to discuss disaster relief with FEMA that you should be preparing for. Let it go, please, sir. You do not want to cross him." Cy walked out closing the door behind him and leaving Fitz staring at a blank wall.

The president half whispered to an empty room. "I can't Cyrus. I can't let her go."

* * *

Cyrus entered the backseat of the black SUV as he let his mind wander back.

_15 years earlier…_

_Cyrus looked around the dinner party bored out of his mind. Every year faculty and staff gathered together before the new students came into the school. They rubbed elbows with alumni, and patrons, and those rich people who didn't have anything else to do for the evening. The university position was nice and he loved the steady paycheck, but he felt like he was meant for so much more. He was so lost in thought that he was surprised when an unassuming man in a suit sat down next to him. _

_"Some party, huh?"_

_Cyrus smiled graciously "Yeah, it's about the same every year. Are you new to the university?"_

_"Uh, no. I work for the government actually. I'm here recruiting."_

_Cyrus nodded. "Oh, so you're staying through freshman week."_

_"Not exactly. I'm actually here recruiting people in your position."_

_"How's that?" Cyrus turned to give the man his full attention._

_"Well, sure, I'm looking for bright young minds, but I'm also interested in the minds that are shaping these bright young minds. I'm interested in the people who will have the ears of these bright young minds in the future. I want the whole package."_

_"Interesting. Tell me more."_

_"Well," Rowan continued, "It's very likely that some of these kids will be running our country one day. Who better than their professors to tell us how they're doing and what type of abilities we're working with exactly. If we can match what the young person excels in before they graduate, it would save us a lot of trouble trying to do the whole headhunting thing later."_

_"I see. So you'd basically be keeping in touch with someone like me when and if I found an exemplary student."_

_"Exactly." Rowan slid his business card across the table and Cyrus looked it over before stuffing it in his jacket pocket. "And if you find one, say, capable of leading the nation in our highest office, well, we'd like it if that relationship extended all the way to white house."_

_"Wow, that's our government working overtime I guess. I had a student I thought would make it all the way. Maybe you know him? Governor Grant's son? Great mind, handsome, idealistic. He's also stubborn as mule. Of course he's no longer a student of mine. He graduated years ago."_

_Rowan smiled. "Well he comes back for reunions and homecoming and such, right. It wouldn't be odd if you rekindled that relationship. You could be at his side when he takes his place in history. And we're not just looking for potential presidents. We want to know about every outstanding student you come across."_

_Cyrus smiled wistfully as he picked up his drink. "There is this one girl. She's an incoming junior this year and a terror during our debate matches. She's a tiny thing, but she has the other schools afraid to face her. And she has one of the sharpest legal minds I've seen in a long time."_

_Rowan flashed a full set of teeth. "You don't say. I tell you what, why don't you give me a call next week and we can arrange a visit to my office. We're always looking for sharp people Professor Beane."_

The car pulled to a stop and the driver looked over his shoulder. "Mr. Beane, we've arrived at the pentagon."

"Thank you, Fred." Cyrus ambled out of the vehicle wondering if he could've done anything differently.

* * *

Huck stared at Olivia as she stared at the pink plus sign on the pink stick in her hand. "Are you going to keep it?"

She looked up with a quivering bottom lip and tears in her eyes. "I don't know. Yes. I just… This couldn't have happened at a worse time, but it's a part of him and me and I can't get rid of that. Everyone will know it's his baby and his chances for reelection will be shot. And this poor child will have no life outside of media scrutiny. "

"We could leave. I could make us disappear."

"That might be the only way Fitz and this baby can lead a somewhat normal life."

Huck leaned forward. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

He moved closer to her. "Don't you want a somewhat normal life?"

Olivia looked down at the stick once more. "Normal is overrated. Besides, if you're able to hide us, I can raise this child in peace and that will be all the normal I need."

"Okay." He stood to leave but she stopped him.

"Huck, I need to tell you something."

"Okay."

"Someone tried to kill me the other night."

He nodded. "Harrison told me. He also said Captain Ballard brought you into the office."

"He did. Huck, Jake is a part of B613."

"I figured as much. Whatever they do to us, it makes us all kind of the same. We usually recognize one another."

She inhaled trying to focus on what she was saying so she wouldn't cry. "He said he disobeyed orders when he saved me."

"That means he's in the hole."

"When he said goodbye the other night, I got the feeling he was saying goodbye for good."

"He probably was, but … why would B613 be after you?"

"Huck, there's more."

"I'm listening."

Olivia looked off into the distance. "My father runs B613."

He didn't answer right away. He looked away before taking several shallow breaths and rising to move to a bedroom in the suite. It took several minutes before he came back to sit opposite Olivia. "When you found me in the Metro station…"

"I didn't know. What I told you about your eyes pulling me in was true. I once heard someone say that you can tell what a person is like by who they gravitate to. I gravitated to you because you were broken the same way I was. He broke me and when I looked at you, I saw in your eyes what I felt inside. You were broken the same way I was, but I didn't know for a long time."

"But you did find out eventually and then he found out. He left me alone because of you." It was more of a statement than a question.

"The short answer is I think so. My father and I don't communicate. The last time I saw him was about seven years ago and that was by chance. It had been ten years before that time. I don't have any contact with him, but I know he's always around. He's always watching me. I just thought you should know that before we start talking about trying to disappear."

Huck took it all in. "I'll just have to put some extra measures in place, but it can be done. What about him?"

Olivia knew he was talking about Fitz. "He can't know. He'd never let me go if he knew I was pregnant and my father is… disturbed enough to get rid of him to make sure I'm not happy. Fitz is not safe as long as he's near me."

"You aren't safe as long as you're near him. What about the baby?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean your father seems to have a thing against families. Will the baby be safe as long as your father is alive?"

"Huck…"

"I'm just saying I can take care of that for you."

"You're offering to kill my father?"

"Yes. I could take Quinn with me to make sure the job gets done. You would be safe. The baby would be safe and get a chance to know its father."

"My father is definitely an issue, but only one of many in this relationship. I'd rather my father not find out about the baby. Fitz too. Just cover our tracks please."

"Okay... I found them."

"Found who Huck"?

"My family."

Olivia's gasp rang throughout the room.

"Did you… I mean are you going to contact them?"

He looked down at his hands. "No, I've been gone too long and if I went back, I'd have to explain what caused my absence. I don't think any of us are ready for that."

She only nodded. "You have a child?"

"Yes, a son. He's really big now. I don't want him to know what I've done."

"I understand."

* * *

Fitz pinched the bridge of his nose in order to stay the pressure that was forming there. "Mr. Rowan, it's been a long day and this is not hard. I'm looking for one man."

"I'm sorry, Mr. President, but you don't have the security clearance needed to access that information."

Fitz turned to face his opponent. There was something about him that was almost familiar, but he couldn't seem to place what it was. "I don't have clearance? I'm The President of the United States and I don't have clearance?"

"That is correct." Rowan smiled smugly.

"Then get me clearance."

"I'm afraid that would take an act of congress and that seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through for one man. You would need to go before several congressional committees to explain the reason you wanted to see him. And I'm still not clear on that really. Why is it you needed to see Captain Ballard so badly?"

Fitz looked the man up and down. Rowan obviously thought he'd painted him into a corner. "Let's just say I'm a man who likes to keep in touch with his friends."

"Friends. It must be nice to be on the receiving end of such a friendship. I'll bet that you are very liberal with your friends."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just that you must be a very giving individual. You must like to share things with your friends."

"Mr. Rowan, I don't have time to decode whatever it is that you're trying to say, but I need you to understand that it works both ways."

Secure in his position, the older man only smirked. "What works both ways?"

Fitz walked back to the desk slowly before taking his seat. "Congressional committees and their need to get to the bottom of every matter brought before them. A well-placed question here or there would only stir up the men at the centers of those committees. It would only take a short while before they'd be chomping at the bit to find out everything about a secret sector of our government that most know nothing about, especially one at the beck and call of a philandering president."

Rowan opened his mouth to slam him, but thought better of it. He didn't know what, if anything, Olivia had told this man about him. Committees digging into his work life would inevitably be pointed to his personal life. Not to mention all of the illegal practices put in place since he'd taken the helm. He straightened himself up and walked across the office toward the door. "I'll see what I can do."

Fitz flashed a smile normally reserved for the media. "I'd appreciate that information by tomorrow morning at the latest. Thanks, Mr. Rowan. Good talking with you!" He shook his head as he watched the man sulk out of the office. Olivia would have been proud of the way he'd handled that.

"Tom!"

The agent appeared in the doorway a few moments later. "Yes, sir?"

"Anything?"

"No sir, but don't worry. I won't stop looking until I find her."

"Thanks Tom."

"No problem sir."

Fitz loosened his tie and leaned back in the chair. He would have to make a decision soon. Sally and the right-wingers were calling for his resignation. Olivia's business was hanging in the balance. She was about to lose everything all because of him, and he had nothing to show for it. He still had no idea where she was. But he was determined to find out.

* * *

Rowan was pissed and would've shot anyone foolish enough to get in his way at that moment. He hated to lose, particularly to weak men. Grant was so weak for Olivia that he was ready to risk everything. So he wanted Ballard, did he? Well he could have him. He climbed into the back seat of the waiting car and pulled out his cell phone. He pushed one button and waited rather impatiently for the person to pick up. "Pull Ballard out of the hole and shoot him in the head. I'd rather he be alive, but just make sure he's not able to talk. If he dies, that's fine too, but make sure to take out any bullets or fragments. Bandage him up the best you can but don't make it look too good."

* * *

**So, that Rowan is a piece of work, huh? ;-)**


	4. Chapter 4

**I just wanted to say that #summergladiators rock! Thank you so much for your comments and feedback. You all crack me up. Here's the next installment. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Fitz looked down at the typed memo lying on the podium in front of him and then back up at the group of eager reporters. The press corps had gathered early that morning, anxious for any tidbit they'd be able to glean from the President's words. He cleared his throat and adjusted his microphone.

"Good morning. I'd like to go ahead and get started. First, let me say that I appreciate you all being here and the coverage that you're providing. I'm glad you're here because I need to make something perfectly clear. First, I want you all to know that I love Olivia Pope."

He could hear the collective gasp that spread through the crowd. They were stunned into silence and he figured he better continue before he ruined any chance of ever seeing Liv again.

"She is a dear friend."

_And the love of my life_

"She's been a key part of the success of this administration."

_And she walked away with my heart…again_

"She's provided me with great counsel and advice."

_As well as lovemaking that blew my mind._

"But she's just a friend. In fact, the last I heard she was seeing a good friend of mine, U.S. Naval Captain Jake Ballard who I discovered this morning was severely injured while in service to this great country. He's being flown to a local hospital as we speak, and I'm asking as a friend of Ms. Pope and Captain Ballard, that you give them and his family the time they need to get through this."

He paused for a moment to let his words sink in.

"Secondly, I'd like to reiterate that my marriage is none of your business. The First Lady and I are dealing with some issues that will remain private. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a busy day ahead and I need to get back to work."

"Well said, sir." Cyrus fell into step with Fitz on the way back to the oval office.

Fitz gave him a smirk. He knew Cyrus would love nothing more than for Liv to disappear and him to go crawling back to Mellie. "My morning is booked, but can you get a hold of the report on Jake's injuries?"

"Report, sir?"

"Yeah, what happened exactly and how he sustained the injuries he did."

"I don't know that B613 keeps reports sir."

Fitz stopped to consider what Cyrus said. When he found the note on his desk this morning about Jake being flown back, unconscious after multiple gunshot wounds, something just seemed off to him. The doctors weren't giving him much of a chance and Fitz wanted to at least see his friend before he died.

Even though he knew about Jake and Olivia, he wouldn't hold it against either one of them. He had treated Livy pretty horribly and she was just trying to move on with her life. And poor Jake was sucked into Olivia's grasp just like he had been. He couldn't fault his friend for falling for an incredible woman. Truth be told, on paper, Jake was a better match for her. He was a great guy and he'd be a great catch for anyone, but as things stood now, he may never open his eyes again. Life was too short.

"Okay. I'll be going to visit him this evening."

* * *

Huck glanced over at Olivia at she pushed the off button on the remote. She had a scowl on her face and Huck could only try to hide the smile on his. He had to admit that he hadn't really liked the idea of Olivia being with the President. From everything he'd seen so far, the president was a man who was just used to getting what he wanted, but that press conference had just done wonders in Huck's estimation of the man.

"What?" Olivia asked but not really wanting to hear what was about to be said.

He shrugged. "Nothing."

"Huck."

"It's just that he changed my mind about him, that's all."

"How so?"

"Well if Captain Ballard did disobey orders when he saved you, he wasn't injured in service to the country, he was punished. That fact that he," Huck nodded toward the television, "was able to get Ballard back so quickly is impressive. It didn't happen easily. And him saying that you were seeing Captain Ballard just…"

Olivia sighed. "Just saved my business and pretty much forces me to come out of hiding at the same time, or else the press will be questioning why I'm staying away from the man I'm seeing."

"Yeah, that was pretty smooth."

Liv rolled her eyes. "Right. Smooth. It was also manipulative."

Huck shrugged again. "He fixed it. I think he really might love you."

Tears threatened to overflow her eyes at any minute. "He does." It was a whispered admission.

"But you can't let him."

"Right. Otherwise my father…"

Huck pushed out a frustrated breath as he rose from the couch. "Let me know if you change your mind about my offer. I'm gonna go get on the computer."

* * *

Fitz sat down on the bed after a long day. He planned to change quickly and head over to the hospital. He'd been extremely busy all day, but something had been gnawing at him since he found the memo about Jake on his desk this morning. When he finished changing, he strolled down to his office. His secretary was still there.

"Loren, I have a quick question before you go."

"Yes sir?"

"What time this morning did you receive the note about Captain Ballard?"

"That note arrived last night sir."

Both eyebrows shot up. "Last night?"

"Yes sir, about an hour after Mr. Rowan left."

"Okay, thank you. You should go home and get some rest."

"But, sir, I have a lot of work left and …"

"Loren, it will be here in the morning. Go home. That's an order."

She smiled shyly. "Yes, sir. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He did an about face and locked eyes with his most trusted secret service agent. "Tom, is everything ready to go?"

"Yes sir. We're all set."

They'd been driving for about five minutes when Fitz leaned forward and tapped on the partition separating him from the driver. "We need to make a stop at Ms. Pope's office."

"Yes, sir."

A few minutes later after his agents had swept the place, Fitz was standing in Olivia's outer lobby. He took a moment to look around appreciating the architecture of the old building. "Hello?"

Abby and Harrison were the first to pop their heads out.

To say that they were shocked would be putting it mildly, but Harrison recovered quickly. "Mr. President, what can we do for you?"

Fitz took a step forward and shook the younger man's hand. "Nice to see you again, Harrison, right?"

"Yes sir. Nice to see you as well."

"Thanks, I just had a quick question."

"Sure, what is it?"

"When was the last time you saw Jake Ballard?

'Uh, two days ago, about, what 11:30 at night?"

He looked over to Abby who had to take a moment to get herself together. Once she did, she stepped forward.

"He was only here for a few minutes after he brought Liv in."

Fitz looked perplexed. "But he left around 11:30, you're sure?"

She nodded. "Yes, my favorite show was just coming on."

"Alright, then. That's all I wanted to know. Thanks guys."

"You're welcome, sir."

Fitz turned around and ran smack into Olivia Pope. _Speak of the devil._

He could tell she was surprised to see him. Her expressive eyes always gave her away where he was concerned.

"Fitz?"

Hearing his name spoken so softly from her lips was like a punch in his gut. He took a deep breath and took a step back. "Ms. Pope. I just needed to confirm some information, but I got what I came for so I'll be leaving now."

She glanced around at all the people surrounding them. "Can I see you in my office please?"

"Actually, I really need to get going."

She inhaled as much air as her lungs would hold in an attempt to stop the tears that were making their way to the surface. "Please. One minute."

He shoved his hands into his pockets and followed her into her office. He took a moment to look around before he turned to face her. When she still hadn't spoken, he sat down and looked her over. She was more beautiful than when he'd seen her a couple of days ago, if that were even possible. She was almost glowing under the fluorescent lights overhead. He watched as she slowly raised her gaze to meet his. The look in her eyes tore him apart. She looked so broken, but then he had to remind himself that he was too. He waited for her to speak but no words came. After a minute he stood.

"You should know that I'm going to continue with the plan that you came up with. Mellie and I will divorce quietly and she'll have her own political career. I'm going to run for re-election as a divorced man."

She looked almost hopeful at his words.

"You know it occurred to me recently, that even if I live to be one hundred, I've already lived over half my life. The first half was spent doing what everyone else wanted me to do. I'm not going to do that anymore. I'm going to enjoy the second half. I'm going to enjoy my kids and have a good second half."

Olivia nodded, unable to speak. Tears were freely flowing down her face now. He moved toward her, unable to stop himself, and brushed the tears away with his thumb as his palm cupped her face.

"Don't worry. I'll probably go on a few dates but I can't bring myself to be with anyone but you, to marry anyone but you. I told you once before that you ruined me and it's the truth. You ruined me for anyone else. If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

He walked out of her office and Olivia collapsed onto sofa. What started out as quiet sobs got progressively louder as soon as she saw him clear the foyer.

Huck watched his boss disintegrate into a pile of mush through the closed glass door. He rushed after Fitz and the agents and managed to catch them just before the elevator doors closed.

"Sir?"

Fitz threw out his arm to stop the doors and they slowly parted. "Yes? What is it Huck?"

"Things aren't as they seem." It was all Huck was willing to say, anything more would have compromised Olivia's confidence.

A frown appeared before Fitz nodded and the doors closed.

When they stepped outside into the fresh air, Tom opened the back door of the unmarked SUV for Fitz to slide in. On his way into the vehicle, Fitz looked at Tom. "That was strange."

The agent nodded. "It was, but he saved your life, so I'd go with it."

"What?" Fitz voiced the question after they were both seated.

Tom buckled his seatbelt and waited for Fitz to do the same.

"When you were shot, everyone thought he'd done it. He was working for Ms. Pope trying to figure out who had really done it but brass drug him away and tort… used enhanced interrogation techniques on him to get him to talk. Someone finally convinced them that he was clean and he led them to your shooter."

Fitz leaned back into the soft leather. "I didn't know."

* * *

**Alright, gladiators, that's it for this chapter. Next chapter Mellie makes an appearance, but it probably won't be what you're thinking. ;-)**

**Have a great week.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Swerve Ahead. ;-)**

"Sir, are you okay?" Tom glanced over at Fitz.

"Yeah, sure Tom. Why do you ask?"

"Because we're running and you hate running."

Fitz smiled as he slowed his pace to a brisk walk. "Oh yeah, I do, don't I?"

They walked for a few more yards before Fitz spoke again. "Let me ask you something."

"Yes sir?"

"How long did it take us to fly to Afghanistan?"

"About fourteen hours with a stop in Dubai, give or take. What's bothering you sir?"

"Jake. The timeline doesn't add up. If he dropped Olivia off at her office at 11:30 the other night, he would have had to have left for the airport almost immediately and caught a flight within one or two hours to have boots on the ground by the next afternoon. When I went to see him last night, he not only had a gunshot wound to the head, he was also shot on the underside of his right forearm."

Tom raised his right arm to demonstrate. "Like he held his arm up in a defensive posture?"

Fitz nodded. "Exactly. So he arrived in the afternoon, was dispatched to his final location, and had time to engage in a fire-fight long enough to run out of ammo? That is the only reason I can think of that he would have his arm up to shield his head and wouldn't have had a gun to fight off any attacker. He was then treated and flown back here, all within forty-eight hours?"

Tom stopped walking. "That's … I mean it's highly unlikely that they would have found, treated, and moved him within that time frame. Maybe he wasn't in Afghanistan. Maybe he was somewhere closer?"

Fitz shook his head. "I don't know. I guess it's doable, but something just doesn't add up. Can you get someone over there to stand guard at his door? No one goes in or out of that room except me, medical staff, and his family… and Olivia."

"Yes sir, I'll get right on it."

"And that whole visit last night to Olivia's office was just… I'm not even sure what to call that. I think I'm going to try to get more information out of Huck, but I'll give him your number as a point of contact. Tom, if for any reason Huck should contact you, I want to know about it right away."

"Absolutely, sir."

* * *

After his shower, Fitz walked out of the bathroom whistling. Mellie looked up from what she was reading.

"Fitz we need to schedule an interview stating that we're reconciling."

He turned away from the mirror and fully faced her. "No. Mellie, how many times do we have to go through this?"

"You're going to change your mind. You always do."

"Not this time."

"Fitz, please. You had your head in my lap only a few days ago."

"A moment of weakness, for which I apologize."

She was winding up, preparing for another epic battle, but Fitz sauntered over to the settee and reached out his hand. When she took hold of it, he pulled her up so that they were only inches apart. Then he did something she wasn't expecting. He reached out and hugged her. They swayed for a moment before he pulled back.

"Mel, when was the last time you were happy? I mean thoroughly and completely consumed with happiness?"

She looked perplexed, almost like she couldn't comprehend the question. "I'm happy with you."

He shook his head. "No sweetheart, you aren't. You are with me because your daddy told you that you needed to be with me in order to get into the white house. But I was thinking about him the other day, about how he used to dismiss you every time you tried to express an opinion. He wasn't big on smart, opinionated women, was he?"

A frown marred her face as her mind traveled back. She looked so sad. "No."

He kept his arms around her waist as he continued to speak soothingly into her ear. "He and my father weren't big on a lot of things, but they're not here anymore. You don't need me anymore. Mellie, you can be happy, and you should be. I want you to be happy, but trying to control me is not the way to get your happiness." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sweetheart, it's over." Fitz turned and walked out of the residence and down to his office without seeing the look of nervous apprehension that crossed his wife's face.

Fitz was trying to review a United Nations proposal a few minutes later but the conversation with Mellie kept replaying in his head. He tried to think back to a time when he'd seen Mellie truly happy. It took him a while but a smile crossed his face when his brain finally dug up the memory. The last time he saw Mellie genuinely happy was when he was campaigning. She'd flown in the night before and was speaking to someone on the phone about her earlier campaign stop but the look on her face was ethereal. His mind searched back around that time and he tried to pinpoint when exactly she'd lost that demeanor. He closed his eyes when the recollection fully materialized.

"I'm such an idiot."

He picked up the phone on his desk. "Secure line please." He waited a moment and dialed a number he knew by heart. He rarely used it, because he'd never wanted to compromise Olivia at work.

"Pope and Associates."

"Uh, yes. I'd like to speak to Harrison please."

"Sure hold on one moment."

"This is Harrison."

"Harrison, this is President Grant."

There was a long pause before he heard anything. "Um, yes sir. If you're looking for Liv, I can go get…"

"No. I called for you. I was hoping you remembered the name of the man that you paid a visit to in regards to my wife a couple of years back. We were on the campaign trail and some rumors started up."

Harrison thought back. "You mean the toe sucker?"

"The what?"

"Oh, sorry, that was my own unfortunate nickname for him. But I do remember."

"Okay, good. Can you get me his contact information?"

"Uh…sure. If you want to wait for a minute I can get it now."

"Take your time. I'll hold… Actually, can you get Huck on the line while you're looking for that information."

"No problem."

Fitz only had to wait a moment before he heard Huck's voice.

"This is Huck."

"Huck, hello. It's President Grant. I found out last night that it was you who led authorities to my shooter and I just wanted to say thank you and express my gratitude."

"You don't have to thank me."

"Be that as it may, I want you to know that I owe you one. Take this number down, let me know when you're ready."

"I'm ready."

Fitz began rattling off Tom's cell phone number. "202-555-3918. When you're ready to call in the favor, call that number. It's Tom, one of the agents that was with me last night. He'll make sure I get the message."

"Okay."

"And Huck?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure you call it in before I leave office."

"I will. Thanks."

"No, thank you for saving my life. And about Olivia, what weren't you telling me last night?"

"Just that you should give her time. There are some things going on that I'm not at liberty to discuss."

Fitz blew out a frustrated breath. "And she won't tell me."

"I think she will, eventually. Just give her…"

"Time, I know. Tell me this, is she safe."

"I'm keeping her safe."

"Huck, don't hesitate to call me if you need to."

"Okay, I'm actually working on some things, but I'll call you when it's time."

Fitz had no choice but to trust him. "Okay, if you can give the phone back to Harrison, I'd appreciate it."

Huck transferred the call over without saying another word. He slid Tom's number into his wallet and walked back to the rest of the team. Harrison relayed the information Fitz was looking for and hung up the phone. Both he and Huck were shocked to hear from the President, but an unspoken agreement passed between the two when Huck passed his office that Liv would never know about the call, not from them anyway.

Fitz hung up and hollered for his secretary. "Loren!"

She appeared a few moments later. "Yes, sir?"

He reached out his hand with a slip of paper that held the information he'd just obtained from Harrison. "Can you please give Mr. Mosley a call and set up a meeting between us at his earliest convenience, but that fits into my schedule."

She took the slip of paper and glanced over it. "Of course sir."

"If he asks, tell him I'm considering a new literacy initiative."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Ten days later, Paul Mosley walked into the oval office with a folder in his hand and a guarded expression on his face. Fitz stood and smiled as he walked around the desk to greet the man. "Mr. Mosley, It's good to see you."

"Thank you, Mr. President. I've brought some new information on the literacy council."

Fitz smiled warmly. "You can leave that on the table there." Paul sat the envelope down and Fitz walked toward the door. "You know, it's such a pleasant day outside. Why don't you join me out in the rose garden for a little walk, hmm?"

The two men strolled the grounds in silence until they came to a clearing in the garden. Fitz paused and turned to look at Paul Mosley.

"Paul, I don't want to take up your time, but I have a few thing I'd like to discuss."

"Mr. President, is this meeting really about the literacy council?"

Fitz flashed an enigmatic grin. "What do you think?"

Mosley shook his head. "I think it's not. I think something else is going on here."

Fitz smiled again. "I think you're in love with my wife."

The color suddenly drained from Mosley's face and with his head full of white hair he resembled an apparition. "Look…"

Fitz held up his hand to stop whatever the man was about to say. "I kept going back to the campaign trail. And when the news broke about you and Mellie having an affair, you never denied it- until you were forced to. And I kept wondering why anyone would do that until it occurred to me that only a man in love would act that way."

Mosley started to protest again but Fitz stopped him a second time. "Paul, it's okay. She deserves at least that much."

Mosley took a deep breath. He wasn't sure what that meant exactly, so he decided to ask. "Are you giving me permission to have an affair with your wife?"

Fitz slid his hands into his pockets and looked down. "That depends. Are you still in love with her?"

Mosley looked away for a brief second. When he turned back his eyes were glossy. "I never stopped."

Fitz nodded. "What are you doing for dinner?"

Mellie walked into the dining room with her stomach tied in knots. Fitz had been acting odd for the past couple of weeks, ever since that little speech about him wanting her to be happy. She didn't know how to deal with this Fitz. She was used to the weak and wavering Fitz. She wasn't sure what to do with a strong and focused Fitz. When he had her chief of staff notify her about having a guest for dinner, she didn't know what to make of it. She almost collapsed when she walked in and saw Paul Mosely, her former lover. Ever the gentleman, he stood when she walked into the room.

"Paul, what are you doing here?"

"Your husband invited me."

Fitz walked in a moment later. "I don't plan on staying but I wanted to come and say goodnight to both of you."

Her body began to shake uncontrollably. She turned to Fitz and opened her mouth to say something but could not. Hot tears blurred her vision as she ran from the room. Fitz caught up with her, surprised that she'd left Paul.

"Mellie, what's wrong?"

She tried to say something but the words caught in her throat. She clutched the pearls around her neck and held on for dear life. It was another minute before she was able to speak. She pointed toward the dining room. "That was not fair. I gave up everything for you. Everything! And you just walk him in here like it's Sunday at the park. What is wrong with you?!"

Fitz frowned. He didn't understand the reaction. "Mellie, I didn't do this to hurt you. I brought him here because I thought you'd be happy to see him. Mellie he still loves you."

She brought her hands up to her head trying in vain to stop the throbbing. She knew it would explode at any second. "You can't just parade my… my…"

"Former lover?" Fitz smirked.

A tear escaped but she swiped it away quickly.

He took a step closer. "Mellie, for as long as I've known you, you've been fighting and scrapping to earn the respect of men who are not as intelligent as you, and I'm telling you that you don't have to do that anymore. It's a new day and your female constituency would happily vote you into office after you take a stand, leave your cheating husband and find some happiness for yourself. Take a good look around you. Divorce is a part of American life. No one is going to hold you responsible for our marriage falling apart. You can have love **and** a senate seat. You don't have to pick or choose one over the other. You can have it all. Mellie, you can have your dream life. Just sign the divorce papers and your quality of life will improve one thousand percent. We both know you're not the most maternal woman on the planet, so I'm prepared to take full custody of the kids, or we can split it. The divorce doesn't have to be made public until I start the run for my next term. You can set up house wherever you'd like to establish residency so you can run for office. Melody, this is your time and you can have whatever you want. You can choose to remain with me and be miserable or you can choose your own happiness. The choice is yours."

Fitz waited for her to say something, anything, but she looked like she'd just collided with a large truck. He tugged her and gently led her back to the dining room. Paul stood again and pulled out her chair. She moved toward him as if in a daze. She sat slowly and watched as Paul grabbed her hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it softly.

"I've missed you Melody."

"I've missed you too." She looked up through teary eyes and attempted a smile.

Fitz was starting to feel like an intruder so he backed himself out of the room and headed toward Teddy's nursery.

* * *

Olivia walked into the conference room where the team was having dinner. They stopped talking as soon as she entered.

"You all are whispering again. Out with it."

Abby shook her head. "I can't do this anymore."

"What?" Olivia asked.

"This. This whole walking around on eggshells crap. Something is going on with you and you won't tell us and it makes for a sucky work environment. You want us to trust you, but you won't extend the same courtesy. And it's been like this for a long time. I can't do it anymore."

"Me either." Quinn piped in. "Everything you do is shrouded in mystery, and I get it to some extent, but this isn't normal. What we do here is not normal. We should all be dead or in jail, but we're not. We're here. We're here because we love you but you keep shutting us out."

Olivia sighed as tears began to fill her eyes. She hated that she was so emotional now. She was ready to cry at the least little thing. If the right commercial came on, she'd be sobbing by the end of it. Harrison pulled out a chair when she walked toward the table. She sat down with a heavy heart.

"You're right, both of you. Let's talk."

* * *

**Okay, so that part with Mellie was probably unexpected, but I really wanted to take care of her in this story because in my mind, she's just as broken as Olivia is, obviously for different reasons, but still broken. So, now that that's handled, the next update will be back to our regularly scheduled programming (probably), unless I get any more bright ideas. **

**P.S. Thank you again for the comments, follows and favorites! They make me so happy.**

**Have a great week gladiators!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello Gladiators. I was so happy to see that most of you liked the last chapter with Mellie and the toe sucker from season 1 making a return. I always thought they made a nice couple. lol -And just so we're clear, Olivia's pregnancy hormones are responsible for her mood swings. Again, thank you so much for the feedback. It keeps me motivated.**

"Mr. President, this is Dr. Kyle over at Bethesda Medical. You asked me to call if there were any changes in Captain Ballard's condition."

Fitz dropped the brief in his hand onto the desk. "Dr. Kyle, yes. Is he okay, or is he…"

"Uh, neither actually. But he is awake."

Fitz sat down with a sigh of relief. "Alright, so he's not okay, but him being awake is a good sign right?"

The doctor watched Jake through the bank of windows that made up the top half of the outside wall to his room. "I hope so. We honestly didn't expect him to survive for as long as he has, but I've seen enough miracles in my career to know that I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. The issue is, he's not responding to any outside stimuli, but we're not sure yet if it's because he can't or if he has P.T.S.D."

Fitz leaned back in his chair and swiveled to look out of the large window into the rose garden. "You think he's suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?"

"He's certainly displaying signs, but again, he may be unable to respond. We're going to run a few more tests to see if we can determine what's going on. It would be great if we could get friends or family in here to talk to him. It would help us to know if he's recognizing faces or processing conversation."

"Of course. I spoke to his parents recently. They had been on an extended vacation on safari with no way to reach them, but they hope to be in town soon. Also, if you could call Olivia Pope at her office, I believe her number is listed, she may be able to visit soon and help with that."

"Oh, his fiancée, right?"

Fitz sat straight up. "Fiancée?"

"Right, well that's what some of the news stations are reporting anyway."

"I see, well yes, and I'll try to drop by later tonight."

"Very good, sir. That will go a long way in helping us diagnose the problem."

"Thank you, doctor. I'll talk with you later."

* * *

Olivia dabbed at her eyes with the tissue she'd just picked up. She looked around the conference room at the people she'd come to think of as her family. "Let's do it. Let's talk. Huck, when is the last time you swept this office for bugs?"

"Two weeks, but give me a little time and I'll take care of it." Quinn rose to help him.

They came back about ten minutes later. "It's clean."

Olivia poured herself a cup of tea and sat down with the rest of the group. She inhaled quickly and jumped in, much like she did during one of her swimming sessions.

"I fell in love with Fitz, we fell in love with each other, on the campaign trail a few years back. We started an affair that we promised would stop if he got elected. He got elected but he didn't want to stop."

"That's why you quit the white house correspondent gig." Harrison said knowingly.

She smiled. "Yeah. I figured if I wasn't there, he could move on and repair his marriage."

"But he couldn't." Huck spoke from the corner. "Move on, I mean."

"No." Liv's soft curls bounced around her head like a halo. "He couldn't and I have a hard time resisting him, so I left. For the record, he's been trying to get me to come back to him since the beginning. He wants to divorce his wife and marry me, but…"

Harrison let out a long, low whistle. "That would be a big mess."

"So we've heard. I actually came up with a fix for it, which he informed me that he's still planning on carrying out, but then another problem popped up."

Quinn leaned forward, engrossed in the story. "What happened?"

Liv took another breath. "My father contacted me recently. He's the head of B613 and he's not exactly stable, not when it comes to me anyway. He doesn't want me with Fitz… or Jake. He's willing to kill to make his point."

Everyone looked at Huck who never blinked.

She took another breath and decided to unload everything. "Also, I just found out that I'm pregnant with Fitz's baby, but he doesn't know."

Harrison pushed his chair back trying to process this new information. What kind of father wants his daughter or her lover dead over finding some happiness? He laid his forehead on the table hoping the temperature of the wood would cool his head and his thoughts.

Quinn's eyes were as big as saucers. Huck stood off to the side. Harrison had his head down. And Abby, who'd been unusually quiet through the whole tale, was standing up and leaning over the conference table in Olivia's direction. She was almost too shocked to speak. Almost.

"You're telling us that you're pregnant with the leader of the free world's baby and he doesn't know it because your father is a murdering and maniacal maniac who would likely kill one or both of you just to make sure you stay alone?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

There was a pregnant pause and you could've heard a pin drop before Quinn grinned. "We're having a baby?"

Harrison looked up and rubbed the back of his neck as he let the full weight of Liv's words sink in. He looked over at Liv first and then Quinn. "We're having a baby."

Abby jumped straight up before grabbing Quinn and pulling her up and spinning around in circles. "We're having a baby!"

Huck allowed himself a small smile.

Abby and Quinn were racing to outtalk each other.

"We have to buy baby clothes."

"And decorate the nursery."

"Oh and we get to buy those cute little baby booties."

"You know the other day I saw the sweetest bibs and pacifiers in this little boutique in Georgetown."

"Ladies!" Olivia raised her voice. "We still have a problem. Fitz can't know about this or else…"

"Your dad will kill you both, we know, but this is so exciting." Quinn's face was flushed.

Harrison turned his attention from Quinn and Abby back to Olivia. "Liv, you don't have anything on your father? Some information that could take him out of the equation and put him away for good?"

A half smile formed on her lips. "I have plenty of information on him."

"So what's the problem?" Abby wanted to know. "With that press conference a week or so ago, the POTUS pretty much guaranteed that you can pass the baby off as Ballard's, and it sounds like he's on his way out of here anyway."

When they all shot her a look, Abby sighed and rolled her eyes.

"God rest his soul. All I'm saying is, if POTUS divorces his wife and you two get together later, everyone will think the baby is Ballard's. POTUS can then adopt the child as his own and everyone lives happily ever after, well, except Ballard. So what's the problem?"

Olivia stood because she needed to relieve her bladder. "The problem is I have something on my father, but he has something on me too."

She paused and waited for someone to say something. When no one spoke, she continued. "When I was a teenager, I murdered someone. He cleaned it up and then made me help with burying the body in the back yard."

* * *

The last time he was in a hospital was when Olivia had been attacked. That was the only thought in his head as he strode the empty corridor and made his way to the door at the end of the hall. Secret Service had just cleared it for him a few moments before.

Fitz walked into the room and looked for a chair. He found it against the wall and pulled it over to Jake's bed. Fitz studied the other man for a moment. He appeared to be asleep, but Fitz wasn't fooled. They'd gotten to know each other too well when they were both assigned to the same naval unit. Jake always had a particular look when he was truly asleep. Every muscle on his face would relax and his mouth would hang open slightly. At the moment, his lips were pursed slightly and there was a dent in his brow as if he were concentrating on something.

When Fitz shifted in his chair Jake opened his eyes. Because he was on his back, Jake focused first on the ceiling then slowly turned his gaze on the man seated to his left. Fitz had almost forgotten what the doctor said and was expecting him to speak. When he didn't, Fitz only smiled.

"So the doctors don't know what to do with you. You're a conundrum. They expected you to be dead by now, but they don't really know who you are or what you're made of. I do though. I remember when we both went out for Navy Seal. You remember? It was the very last test and up until that last three seconds we were neck and neck, but I just couldn't hold on. You did though, at the risk of your life, and you made it. You became a navy seal and then you sort of disappeared for a while, only to end up sitting behind a desk, which I didn't understand then. But I get it now. The desk job was only a cover. It appears you've been very busy behind the scenes."

Fitz paused a moment to see if there was any reaction from Jake. There wasn't and he continued.

"Look, I don't know if you can understand me, but I wanted to tell you something. I want to apologize. I should have told you about Olivia but I was in a really bad space. I was angry with her and myself and I brought you into it and I'm sorry for that. But you should know that I never stopped loving her. I'm telling you this because I know what happened between you two, and I'm past it. I can't even fault you because she is incredible, but when you get up and out of here, and I'm hoping to God that you will, but when you do, you need to know that she belongs to me. We belong to each other. I have no idea what the future holds for you or for us, but I just figured you should know that."

Jake never gave any sign that he understood a word Fitz was saying, so Fitz pulled out a book that he recalled Jake liking many years ago. He'd gotten through the first chapter when a yawn over took him. Fitz stretched in the chair and wiped his face. He folded the page down where he stopped and looked up. "Sorry, I guess it's been a long day. I'll come back sometime this week and do the next chapter. And your parents should be here in the next couple of days. Your mother sounds like a sweetheart. Anyway, I'll get out of here and let you get some…"

The door opened and the words on his tongue floated away. Two sets of eyes followed Olivia as she walked into the room and toward the bed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." She stopped right by where Fitz was seated. She placed a hand on his shoulder and Fitz fought with himself to keep his hands at his side.

"You weren't interrupting. I was just about to go."

She nodded and looked over at Jake. "How is he? When the doctor called he said…"

Fitz cleared his throat. "He hasn't reacted yet, but something tells me he's in there."

She nodded again and turned herself before taking a step back and sitting in Fitz's lap. He held his hands up so he wouldn't touch her. "Liv, what are you doing? You can't just keep going back and forth…"  
"Shh." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body as close as she could to his. "I just need a minute."

She relaxed when he finally gave in and wrapped himself around her. Fitz buried his nose between her neck and shoulder and inhaled. She tightened her hold on him and pretended that Jake wasn't hurt. She pretended that Jake wasn't in the room at all. She imagined that this would be the moment that she could tell Fitz about the baby and her increasing bouts of morning sickness. She would go on and on about the new life growing inside of her. She would throw out names and see if he liked any of them. This would be the time that they could dream and plan for the future like a normal family. What would the baby look like? What college would they go to? She imagined in that moment that they could have it all.

"Liv, what's wrong? You're shaking. And I know you're not cold because the heat I'm generating alone should put you in mind of a tropical island."

She smiled at his small attempt of humor and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before resuming the embrace. "Nothing's wrong," she whispered.

"Something is definitely wrong, but Liv?" He pulled away and tried to look in her eyes. "I can't do anything about it if you don't tell me what's going on. Livy?" He gently lifted her chin until they were eye to eye. "You have to talk to me. You have to trust me."  
Tears threatened to fall. "I do trust you, but things are," she paused to take a breath. "Complicated."

"Things have always been complicated with us, but if you're in trouble, you need to let me protect you."

She placed her head back on his shoulder. "I don't know that you can."

"Liv, I'm the freaking President of the United States. I can protect you."

"You can't. She's right." It was a whisper barely heard above the machines he was attached to.

Two heads whipped around to look at Jake. He looked bad, but he was conscious and he was cognizant and those were both good things. Olivia slid off of Fitz's lap to put some ice chips in a cup. She placed a few in Jake's mouth and waited until he swallowed.

"How do you feel?"

"Like I've been shot."

Olivia nodded as the now familiar tears collected. "I'm sorry."

Fitz moved to stand by the bed. Something in Olivia's tone bothered him, and the look on her face was not what one would expect in a situation like this. It was more than a general apology. She sounded like she was taking responsibility for something. Fitz reached for the cup in Olivia's hand.

"Liv, I'll make sure he gets the ice. Can you go find the doctors? They're probably going to want to see him now that he's talking."

She looked between the two men knowing why Fitz was trying to get her out of the room. But Jake didn't know much more than Fitz so she figured leaving them alone for a few minutes couldn't hurt anything. As soon as she cleared the room, Fitz put some ice in Jake's mouth and waited for him to look up.

"What was that about?"

"Just keep her away from Rowan," came the whispered response.

* * *

**Okay gladiators, that's it for now. Jake was going through his own 752 and Liv is dealing with issues from the past. I actually have an idea about who it is she killed, but I'm not sure if I'm happy with/ like it. Let me know your thoughts on that please. Also, this is fair warning, my summer is about to get HECTIC. I am going to try my best to update regularly, but it may not happen. (I'll try really hard though). **

**Have a great weekend and week gladiators!**


	7. Chapter 7

"What was that about?"

"Just keep her away from Rowan," came the whispered response.

Fitz ran his hand through his hair in frustration. What was it about Olivia? It seemed that every other man in her life was either trying to kill her or bed her. If she would just be open with him they wouldn't have half the problems they do. One minute she's walking away, again. The next she's in his lap holding on for dear life. He really couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take being played with like a yo-yo not another day. She was a grown woman and she knew what she was doing. He loved her enough not to force her, but he needed to start looking out for his own emotional well-being. If that's the way she wanted to play it, fine. He would handle her like he handled Mellie and move on with his life.

Something had shifted. Olivia knew it as soon as she reentered the room. Fitz was looking at her strangely. She didn't know what Jake had said to bring about the look on Fitz's face, but she could tell that whatever was said caused the presidential wheels in his head to start turning. She could virtually see the smoke rising from his ears. She looked down and shook her head. All of a sudden she was tired. She'd been hiding secrets for most of her life and she was tired of doing it. She unconsciously laid her hand on her stomach and raised her head to look Fitz in the eye.

"We need to talk."

He was surprised but nodded his agreement. The room was suddenly overrun by medical staff coming in to check on Jake. Speaking to her would have to wait, but Fitz moved out of the doctors' way and closer to Olivia.

Liv watched as the physicians examined Jake from head to toe. Every now and then he would wince letting them know he was still in pain. She knew her father had done this to him, and the guilt she was feeling because of it was nearly overwhelming. The exam sapped what little strength Jake had left, and after another round of pain medication, he was out like a light. The doctors advised both Fitz and Olivia to come back in the morning. Fitz consented and moved toward the door. He held his arm out for Olivia to walk in front of him but she shook her head.

"I'll be there in a second."

Fitz looked toward the bed and tried to squash all the irrational feelings of jealousy that rose up before he walked out of the room and left her alone with the sleeping man.

She inched toward the bed slowly. "Jake," she whispered because her voice wouldn't do anything else. "I'm so sorry for all of this. I know you're here because of me, because of my connection to B613. I wish I could make it up to you somehow, but I don't know how to fix this. I know you saved my life the other night, so I'm going to be here for as long as you need me. Okay? I know I should have come to see you earlier. I mean I know it hasn't been two weeks yet, but when I found out I was having a hard time dealing with the guilt. I know you can't hear me but I just want you to know that I'm here, that I will be here for you. You take as much time as you need to get better okay? I'll come see you tomorrow."

Fitz pushed himself off the wall when Olivia emerged.

"Where are we going to do this?"

He was all business and she couldn't blame him. She had tugged and pulled at him so often over the last three years, it was a wonder he was even speaking to her. She looked up defeated. "We can go to my place, unless you have somewhere else in mind."

He nodded curtly. "Your place is fine."

Once Secret Service had secured the building and checked her apartment out from top to bottom, they were allowed to enter.

"Did you want something to drink?"

He looked around her place remembering the last time he'd here. The last time he was here, he was happy. They had woken up in the same bed and life had been good. He had made love to her on every surface in the place, vertical and horizontal that he could. He shook his head to clear the illicit thoughts. They would do nothing to help the conversation he was about to have. "Whatever you have is fine."

She poured him a glass of iced tea and set it on a coaster on the coffee table.  
"I'll be right back."

Fitz took the time to examine her front door while she was gone. He wanted to see if he could find any evidence of the scene Cyrus had described a while back. At first nothing seemed amiss, but upon closer inspection, he could see where the area near the lock had been expertly repaired. He checked the wall but any signs of the blood splatter Cyrus had seen that night had been wiped clean away.

She took a few minutes to go to the bathroom and change out of the restrictive suit she was wearing into an oversized cream colored sweater and pants with elastic waist. Her waistline was slowly expanding and she would soon need to do something about her wardrobe. She grabbed the glass she had poured for herself and met Fitz on the sofa.

He took a sip from the glass in his hand and waited for her to begin.

"I love you."

He didn't respond, and again she couldn't blame him. "I know you can't tell by my actions, but I at least want to explain why I've been acting the way I have."

He didn't move.

She inhaled a mouthful of air and launched forward. "When I slept with Jake, I was trying to get over you." She saw him flinch at the mention of that incident. She wasn't trying to hurt him but she needed to get it out in the open. "When he slept with me, he was following orders."

It took a moment, but her words finally sunk in and a frown appeared on his face. He leaned forward slightly. "You're telling me that someone commanded Jake to have sex with you?" He asked the question with disbelief written all over his face.

"Yes."

"Who would do that?"

"His boss and my father."

Fitz snickered and waited for her to laugh at her own joke. When no mirth was forthcoming, he set his glass down.

"Olivia -" His voice had a warning tone in it; it was the kind of tone usually reserved for misbehaving children.

He wanted her to jump up and say "gotcha!" or run around the apartment cackling like a college freshman, or slap a sticker on his forehead that read "sucker," but she did none of those things. She just sat there with her big, expressive eyes on the verge of over flooding, begging him to understand. He stood and stared down at her. She wouldn't say anything else and he didn't know whether to be grateful or strangle her. He walked over to the kitchen counter and rubbed his head hoping it would take him out of this alternate universe. He stole a glance in her direction and saw that her head was down and she was fidgeting with her hands. She swiped quickly at a tear that had escaped her iron will. The pull to go over and comfort her was nearly overpowering, but he resisted. He needed to get all the facts first.

He walked back over and sat next to her on the sofa. He was far enough away that they weren't touching, but close enough to hear the soft voice she'd just used.

"Rowan is your father?"

"Yes."

He barely heard it.

He took another moment to process her confirmation but then his brain went into overdrive. He looked at her but she still wouldn't look up. He turned himself to face her fully. "Cyrus said he came over here the other day and your door was broken down and there was blood splatter on the wall."

She nodded but kept her face down. "Rowan sent a B-613 agent over here."

"To kill you?"

Liv shook her head. "I don't think so. I think it was just to scare and intimidate me, but Jake was here and when she kicked the door in. He'd snuck up behind me so we were standing fairly close together; when she raised her gun at us, Jake shot her and then took me to my office. I don't think Rowan was trying to kill me. I think he sent her to come get me."

Fitz was still having trouble wrapping his head around the whole thing. "He couldn't just pick up the phone and invite you to lunch like a normal father?"

She looked off to the other side of the room and covered the sadness with a smirk. "We don't have a normal relationship."

Fitz was beginning to understand that. Nothing about this woman he loved, or her life, was normal. He'd never taken the time to ask what sort of childhood would produce a woman who could stand toe-to-toe with dictators and not blink. He naively assumed she must've been born that way; and looking at her now he had to admit that she had a resolve that was not natural and therefore had to be innate. But the outer shell, the one he'd only broken through a couple of times since knowing her, that could have only been forged in the crucible of a hellish childhood.

Olivia hadn't looked at him since she began speaking and Fitz took a long moment to study her while her face was turned away. He knew she was small, but she suddenly looked frail and alone. He couldn't imagine what her father had put her through growing up, but he was determined to find out before he left tonight. He was angry with her for keeping this side of herself from him, but God help him, despite all of his declarations to the contrary, he could not stay away. He stood and picked her up easily, settling into the plush sofa with her on his lap. Olivia shifted and curled into him until they were intertwined. They stayed like that only a moment before he felt the tears run down his neck and into his shirt. She began to sob with a force that shook her entire body, and Fitz sat there amazed. He was holding one of the most powerful women- scratch that, one of the most powerful persons on the planet period in his lap; and he was astonished that she was letting him do it. She was finally doing what he'd asked. She was showing all of herself to him.

He had never seen her cry like this; shed a few tears yes, weep violently, no. This was her opening up and letting him in. He was sorry that it was causing her pain to do so, but he cherished every second of it. He would likely never get to see this side of her again. He let her cry it all out then he wiped her tears away.

When she realized what had just happened she covered her face in shame.

"I'm sorry. I know you didn't come in here for me to snot and cry all over you. I must look a mess."

He gently lowered her hands and kissed her quickly. "Please don't."

When she looked up in confusion he simply kissed her again. "Please don't apologize for what just happened. That was a gift that I'm going to remember for the rest of my life. And don't hide from me ever again. You're beautiful. All of you."

She embraced him, humbled by his words.

"Now tell me, why does your father have it in for you?"

She tried to bow her head again, but Fitz wouldn't let her. He raised her chin with his finger until she was looking him in the eye.

"He's trying to punish my mother."

Blue eyes clouded to gray. "Your mother? Your mother is …"

"Dead. But apparently he sees her when he looks at me. She cheated on him with a neighbor of ours and he's never forgiven her and never gotten over it."

"So he's taking all of his anger out on you?"

"Right. I can't tell you how many times he used to tell me that I was just like her, that I would never get married, and if I did, that I would never make a good wife because I was born to cheat. He used to tell me that it was in my DNA. The funny thing is after he caught my mother cheating, he didn't spend a lot of time with me, but when he did, he made sure to stress that I was only good for opening my legs for some man."

His face fell. "So when you and I got together, it…"

She tried to meet his gaze but couldn't. Olivia turned her head, her voice barely above a sigh. "It confirmed everything he'd ever said about me."

Fitz's heart broke in his chest. He'd been so eager to have Olivia on that campaign trail that he never stopped to ask what the consequences might be for her. He pulled back from the embrace and cupped her cheek with his palm. She kept her eyes shut tight trying to ward off the memories that were now flooding back.

"Baby, you know that you are none of those things, right? Your father is an idiot and he should have known better than to say such hurtful words to his own child. You have nothing to do with his unresolved issues. You are amazing and talented. You're hard-working and deserving of everything you have in your life."

Fitz's words washed over her and she leaned into his hand before placing a kiss there. "Thank you for saying that, but I chose to walk into your hotel room that night. I responded to lust." She appreciated him and everything he stood for, but she had to acknowledge the truth.

He noticed that she didn't agree with what he'd just said, but he knew that she heard him and he knew he would spend the rest of his life making her believe every word of it. "You responded to love. I've loved you from the first moment I saw you. I went about it the wrong way. I know that now. I should have made a clean break with Mellie before I pursued you, but Livy, please don't ever doubt that what we share, what we've always shared is all encompassing love."

Olivia rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.

Something else occurred to him a moment later. "There's a tape."

She lifted her head, not understanding what he was trying to say. "What?"

"There's a tape of you and Jake. When you were in my office a while back and you asked if Cyrus was the one who told me? He was the one, but he showed me. He didn't tell me. That means your father not only sent Jake in to sleep with you, he had it recorded. Rowan's been pulling everyone's strings, Cyrus' included."

Olivia sighed. She shouldn't have been so surprised that her father would stoop to these depths to humiliate her, but even she was shocked at that news. "Fitz, Cyrus is just a pawn in a very big game; and to be honest with you I'm not completely sure that my father is the only power player. The good news is, if the tape is ever leaked you've already taken care of it with that press conference you held. No one will question a sex tape when the President has validated the relationship on national and international television."

She'd barely gotten the words out of her mouth when Fitz crashed his mouth down on hers. True to form, they were moaning and writhing a few moments later. With great strength, she managed to wrest her lips away from his.

"Fitz!"

He looked shocked at the disconnect, but then her words came back to him and his brow furrowed intensely. "First of all, I did not validate a relationship between you and another man. Secondly…"

Liv placed her hand over his mouth to stop the tirade that was about to ensue. She then wiggled in his lap trying to adjust to the evidence of his growing arousal.

"You know what I meant. Your reaction to the tape and subsequent handling of the situation cut my father off at the knees. Don't you see? You were able to forgive me and move past it. That was something he was never able to do with my mother. By showing you that tape, he thought you would do to me what he did to my mother. Now that you've shown that you really love me, he won't know how to handle it. If you weren't in danger before, you definitely are now."

He didn't miss the fact that she left herself out of that last part of the equation. If Fitz had circumvented her father's plan he knew Olivia was more in danger now than ever before. He kissed the side of her head and slid her off of his lap. Fitz stood and stretched as he reached for his cell phone. He waited patiently and was rewarded when he heard the phone ring through the wall.

Tom answered his cell on the other side of Olivia's door. "Yes, sir?"

"Tom I need you to stay here with Ms. Pope tonight. In the morning I want you to find two agents to accompany her at all times until further notice. And Tom, I need a thorough background check on these agents. They are to have no connection whatsoever to the CIA group B-613."

"Yes sir."

Both men ended the call and Fitz turned to face the love of his life.

"Fitz…"

"Shush." He leaned down and kissed her. "No negotiating this. I want, no I need you to be safe."

Olivia conceded the point and smiled. She couldn't begin to imagine what would happen if Fitz knew she was pregnant. "Okay." She stood and gave him a hug.

He kissed the top of her head and waited until she looked up. "Anything else?"

"Actually, there's a little more that I haven't told you, but how about we face one crisis at a time."

"Liv…"

"No." She reached up on her toes and kissed his chin. "I need for this to be resolved first."

He pulled her in closer and nodded. "Fine. But one day very soon I want to hear everything."

"You absolutely will."

She turned in after Fitz left with his detail and she'd brought out a pillow and blanket for Tom to get comfortable on the couch. The next morning, just as Fitz requested, Liv had her own detail follow her into the office. She was running a little late because of a bout of morning sickness, but when she rounded the corner off the elevator her ears perked up. She thought she detected a peculiar Scottish accent that could only belong to one man. She kept walking and her hopes were confirmed as she saw him standing right in front of her enjoying a cup of coffee with the rest of the team.

"Steven?"

* * *

**Alright dear gladiators, that's it for now. Thank you all so much for the favorites, follows and reviews. They really do make my day. And special thanks to those of you who said I should be working in ShondaLand. **

**A girl can dream… :-)**

**Until next week.**


	8. Chapter 8

Fitz had had a restless night. He'd been tossing and turning with one question since he'd left Olivia.

Who do you turn to when you need to find out all of the dirt you possibly can on a man? The answer was easy; he'd spent the better part of his evening with her. But learning of Olivia's familial tie with Rowan now made it impossible to go to Olivia for any kind of help in this case. Usually, the next person he would turn to was Cyrus, but Cy was the one that slipped the DVD sex tape of Liv and Jake into his player the other night. And he could have only gotten that tape from Rowan himself, which meant that Cyrus was in some way linked to the man. Jake was obviously out of the picture, especially considering Rowan was likely the reason he was lying in a hospital bed.

Fitz sighed as he walked past boxes upon boxes. Mellie was packing up and planning on relocating to their Santa Barbara home. He had no doubt that Paul Mosley would be right behind her. Karen and Gerry would be home from school in the next few days and he and Mellie would have a talk with them about the separation and impending divorce. She was smiling more in the last few days than he'd seen over the last few years, and he was truly happy for her. At least one of them was happy, but he needed to take care of a few things before he'd be able to hold his happiness. It was clear that Rowan was out of control, but how to expose him with the minimum impact on Olivia was the question. His three key players were out of the game due to circumstances beyond his control and he couldn't walk up to just anyone and start asking them to dig into the head of a CIA organization without causing the rumor mill to start turning… Or could he?

He moved into his office waving at Loren and closing the door behind him. He picked up the phone and made quick work of dialing. He was relieved when it was picked up on the second ring.

"James Novak."

"James, hi. It's Fitz."

"Uh, Mr. President, is everything alright?"

Fitz realized right then what must have been going through the other man's mind. "Oh yes, James, everything is fine. Cyrus is fine. He'll probably outlive all of us."

A sigh of relief escaped him. "Okay, then to what do I owe the honor?"

"Well, I know you're busy with the new job and all, but I was wondering if you'd have time to bring Ella over for lunch today? Teddy hardly ever gets to see kids his age and that can't be good for him."

James was pleasantly surprised. "That would be great. I was just thinking that I needed to start arranging some play dates for Ella."

"Okay, good. I also want to run something by you when you get here. Nothing big though."

James' ears perked up. He could smell news a mile away. "Yes, sir. We'll be there around noon."

* * *

"Seriously, what are you doing back here?"

Olivia and the team had gotten no work done all morning because they'd been catching up with Stephen. She was more than happy to have him back; he brought a certain calm to the office that she'd been missing lately. Now as she spread lunch before the two of them they could really talk. The rest of the team let them have the hour.

Stephen picked up the carton of fried rice and the greasy cardboard container holding his fried wings. "You can't get Chinese food like this in the middle of nowhere." He then picked up a little plastic container with a thick red glaze and practically shoved it in her face. "And this! This is impossible to find in the boondocks. They've never even heard of mambo sauce for fried wings. I had to take to the kitchen my first month there and come up with my own recipe."

Olivia's mouth pulled to one side and her eyes rolled upward. She'd actually been craving mambo sauce lately, but it was no reason to leave your spouse. She smiled sweetly but her voice was laced with ridicule. "Stephen, why are you here?"

He feigned offense. "Well you don't have to sound so happy about it."

She smirked and reached out for his hand. "You know I'm happy to have you back. I'm just wondering what brought you back. Really."

He gave her hand a short squeeze. "Georgia and I, are well… We-"

"Oh, no. You broke up?"

"Yes, we're just not sure if it's temporary or not."

Liv nodded solemnly. "I'm really sorry. I thought marriage would have been good for you."

"Hmph. Me too; that is until my wife started screwing her newly divorced principal."

"What?" Liv couldn't believe what she was hearing. Stephen had always been the one with the wandering eyes and hands.

He looked down sadly. "I suppose I had it coming. You know what they say about karma and all of that. And she was actually trying to be upstanding about it by telling me. She really is too good for me. I still haven't shared with her all of my dalliances."

"Do you think you can get past it?"

Stephen shook his head. "I don't know. I'd be willing. Things are just so comfortable with her. Hell, I'd be willing to have an open marriage with her, but she's not into that sort of thing. She actually fancies herself in love with the bloke."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow. The funny thing is, I really can't blame her. I found a picture of them together and the way he was looking at her… I mean, I never look at her like that. I'm not really sure I know what it is to be in love. I mean I love her. She's really very special, but apparently I don't love her enough, not like him."

Liv nodded non-judgmentally. Up until three years ago, she and Stephen had been in the same boat. And then came Fitz.

"Well, you're welcome to come back here. We could always use the help."

He raised a paper cup in her direction. "Thanks, love. Now tell me, what's going on with you and the drama that is your love life?"

Olivia brought her folded hands to her mouth and looked away with a slight smile as she shook her head.

"That bad, huh?"

* * *

James and Fitz sat across the room as they watched Ella and Teddy try to hold a conversation over the stuffed caterpillar sitting between them. Fitz smiled at the interaction. Lunch had been a comedy of errors with the two dads trying to feed the kids and the kids trying to feed each other and their dads, but they got along remarkably well.

"Thank you for inviting us. Ella needed some play time too."

Fitz nodded. "No problem, and about that other thing I wanted to talk to you about…"

"Yes?" James asked eagerly. "What is it?"

"James, I need your guarantee of absolute secrecy on this. You can't tell anyone, not even Cyrus."

"Okay…"

"In exchange, if the story turns out to be what I think it will, I'll guarantee an exclusive thirty minute interview with me when it's all wrapped up."

James could feel himself salivating.

Fitz continued. "But I mean it, James. If I find out that any of this gets out before the right time, all bets are off. If you need to put extra security on your computer or your phone, then do that."

"Okay. You have my word. Now what is it?"

Fitz nodded and pulled an envelope out of his breast pocket. "Everything is in here. I need you to dig deep and fast. If this person has anything to hide, I want to know about it. For obvious reasons, you'll need to be discreet. Your own safety may depend on it. And look, if this is too much to handle, too much for you to get involved in right now, just let me know."

James pulled the contents out of the envelope and looked everything over. "No. No, it's fine. I'll handle it."

Fitz sighed in relief. "Good. And James, be careful."

"I will. I'll be discreet too."

"Okay, when you're ready, call my secretary and set up another play date. We'll talk over lunch."

* * *

Stephen leaned his head back into the sofa afraid that if he didn't provide some cushion for it, it would explode.

"Olivia!"

"What?"

He leaned forward only slightly. "You mean to tell me that you're carrying the love child of the President of the United States, and you haven't told him, yet."

She shifted under his gaze. He was just short of disgusted.

"The man that was willing to give up everything, EVERYTHING, for you and you still haven't told him yet?"

"Stephen, I told you, things got complicated when my father entered the picture."

"No, I'm not buying it. This is you maintaining distance and trying to keep control over your relationship and over him, again."

She looked away for a moment. "Can you blame me?"

"Yes." He was resolute. "Yes, I can blame you for this, because you have enough in you to deal with your father. You have let him control you long enough. You deserve to be happy."

Liv smiled as she glanced down at her hands in her lap. "You sound like Fitz."

"Yeah, well he happens to be right. And for the record, if I found out that the love of my life was keeping the fact that she was carrying my child from me, it would destroy me. And I don't know if I could bounce back from that. This man loves you and has done nothing to deserve this type of treatment from you. Let your past go and move into the future that you're supposed to have."

Olivia hung her head in shame. Everything Stephen had said was true and she knew it. He gave her the same advice she'd given Fitz not too long ago.

"Besides all that, love, you're showing."

She gasped at the comment and looked down. "Really?"

He grinned and nodded. "That was my first thought when you walked through the door this morning. And don't you think he deserves to find out before he's alerted by the press?"

"Yes. You're right as usual. And there's no time like the present." She swiped her phone off the table and punched in the numbers to his office. She reached Loren after a moment and was transferred to him.

Fitz was pleasantly surprised when Loren announced his caller. "Well, this is a surprise. To what do I owe the honor?"

She froze for a moment but Stephen reached out and touched her hand, urging her to continue.

"I was just wondering if you had any free time to talk soon?"

"Wow. More talking. I always have time for you; you know that. Can you come here this evening after work?"

"Um, yes. I can do that."

"Good, I'll see you tonight."

She hung up and turned to Stephen.

"There, that wasn't so hard was it?"

She offered a small smile. "No, that part comes tonight."

* * *

"You can go in Ms. Pope. He's expecting you."

"Thank you Loren."

Olivia breezed past the secretary's desk and into the oval office. She had planned to just say it and get it over with, but the place appeared to be empty. "Fitz?"

Just then the west door to the side office and small dining room opened. She had almost forgotten about the spot. It was hidden behind one of the doors that looked like, and blended into, a wall. He beckoned her with a finger and she walked into a candle lit, picnic-style dinner.

"I had the chef whip us up a little something."

She was more than happy to eat something since Jr., which is what she'd taken to calling the baby, seemed to be hungry all of the time. Olivia sat down with little ceremony and dove into the delicious dish. Fitz was more amused than anything at her hearty appetite.

"Too many nights of popcorn and wine got to you huh? See it's a good thing you came over. You needed a real meal."

"I'm pregnant."

He barely caught the words between her full mouth and next large bite, but when he did, he assumed that he misheard her.

"What?"

She guzzled down the water in her glass and wiped her mouth. "I'm eating like a sumo wrestler because I'm pregnant."

Fitz leaned back in his chair to stare at her. She saw a deep wrinkle form across his forehead as his eyes narrowed. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. She knew what he was thinking.

"It's yours, not Jake's."

Relief passed over his face for a brief second but doubt still clouded his eyes.

Olivia stood slowly and shook her head. "Well, I can see that you're busy and since that wasn't the reaction I was expecting, I'll get out of your way and let you get back to work."

She'd made it to the door and had it open before she felt his larger hand engulf her smaller one over the knob. "Just, wait."

He closed the door and ran his fingers through his hair trying to give himself a moment to think. "I'm sorry, I just…" He pushed out a breath. "You just caught me off guard." He moved his hand off of hers and onto the door in case she tried to open it again. "Come talk to me, please?" The last word was a whisper and he hoped it would be enough to erase his earlier response. When she didn't move, Fitz knew he had more work to do.

"Livy, I'm sorry. My reaction should have been better, just come talk to me."

He pulled her hand until they were back at the table. He sat down first and pulled her into his lap; that was when he noticed the tears.

"Shhh." He grabbed a napkin from the stack in front of him and began to dab at her eyes. "Sweetheart, I'm happy about the baby. But if I'm being honest, the first thing that popped in my head was that damned video of you and Jake."

"It's not Jake's," she hiccupped. "He used protection. And I'm too far along for it to be Jake's anyway."

He tightened his arm around her and patted her tears with his other hand. Her back was leaning against his chest and he had to shift her around to reach her face. Fitz thought about what she was saying as her tears dried to a trickle.

"So you conceived at…"

"Ella's christening," she finished the thought for him.

Fitz took a deep breath and laid his head on her shoulder as she continued speaking.

"We weren't even speaking and I stopped taking the pill when I turned thirty-five so when we, when you pulled me into the closet…"

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

Again, not the reaction she was expecting. She tried to slide off of his lap but he wouldn't let her. "Let me go, Fitz. It's apparent you think this child is a mistake."  
"What?" He pushed her back somewhat and turned her so that they were face to face. "Why would you say that?"

"'I'm so sorry. It's all my fault'. What am I supposed to think Fitzgerald?"

He kissed her before she could say anything else. "I was apologizing for the circumstances. I had all intentions of impregnating you, I just thought when it happened that we would have been married and in our own bed not an electrical closet in the white house, and that I wouldn't have been so… angry. Livy, the circumstances weren't ideal, but I want my child. I want you. I want our family."

"Really?"

"Yes. Really."

Those two words gave her a little peace. She lay back against him and rested. They were quiet for a few minutes; simply content to listen to one another breathe.

Her mind wandered back to the event in question and she smiled softly. "At least it was Valentine's day."

He smiled faintly. "Oh yeah, it was, wasn't it?" He waited another minute, then, "Mellie is moving out."

"Seriously?"

"Yep."

She turned her head to get a better look at him. "How'd you manage to pull that off?"

"I used one of my superpowers."

Olivia's left eyebrow rose in protest as she thought about the last time he used his superpower on her. "And what superpower is that?"

"Negotiation. Haven't you been watching the news?"

She laughed again. "I must've missed that."

A second later she gasped in surprise. "Oh!"

He sat her straight up, following suit. "What's wrong?"

She pulled his hand over her abdomen. "Wait." A full two minutes later they both felt it.

Tears gathered in his eyes as he took in the moment.

"Jr. must like fruit." She picked up a grape off of his plate and stuffed it into her mouth.

"Jr.? You think it's a boy?"

She shrugged. "It could be Olivia Jr."

Fitz grinned like a maniac. "Now that would be something." He rubbed her belly and lowered his head to speak directly to his offspring. "By the way, if you're a girl, you're not dating until you're thirty."

"Hey! That's not fair!"

Fitz looked back up to Liv. "Are you kidding me? She's gonna have your face and my height with your walk. She's on lockdown until further notice."

Liv beamed and rubbed her stomach a moment longer. "You know the press is going to think it's Jake's baby, and with him coming around…"

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but the three of us will know better. Okay?"

"Okay."

"So when do we get to meet this little person anyway?"

"Well, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Jr. should make an appearance on or about October, 25th."

Fitz smiled. "We're having a baby."

Olivia smiled at him. "We're having a baby."

* * *

"It's only three bedrooms and is still in pretty good shape for an older home in D.C. There's an elementary school down the street. It's close to the Metro and you can be downtown in ten minutes on a light traffic day. And if you have a small or growing family, it could be just the size you need for right now."

Huck looked around the place, and then out the window before turning back to the realtor. Quinn smiled brightly as she glanced at Huck. "I love it."

Huck nodded to the realtor. "We'll take it."

* * *

**There you have it gladiators. I hope you enjoyed this week's installment. Thank you again for the feedback and support. You all are amazing. Have a great rest of the week!**


	9. Chapter 9

"Guys, have a seat. Your mom and I want to talk to you about some things."

Fitz and Mellie sat on opposite ends of the sofa in the sitting room off their bedroom and watched as Karen and Gerry ambled in. The kids sat together on the large chaise and waited for their father to continue. Mellie cleared her throat and looked them both in the eyes.

"Listen, kids, there's no easy way to say this." She took a deep breath but before she could continue she was cut off.

"You and dad are getting a divorce." Gerry spoke with no emotion in his voice. He sounded like he was reading the ingredients off the back of a cereal box. Karen simply nodded.

Mellie looked taken aback and Fitz could only shake his head and wonder about how much more they knew.

"Your father met someone else." Mellie recovered quickly.

Fitz whipped his head around to stare at her but she wouldn't look him in the eye. "We both met someone else." His voice was dark and deep and held promises of things to come if she didn't detour off her current path.

"Mom, Dad, it's okay." It was Karen's turn now. "We know you two haven't been happy together for a while now. But we thought…"

"We thought you'd stick it out until you were out of the white house." Gerry finished.

"Yeah," Karen confirmed.

Fitz smiled. "I guess I should have expected that coming from you two. You're both too smart for your own good sometimes. But now that that part is out in the open, we need to discuss some changes that are about to happen around here."

"Okay?" both kids said simultaneously.

"Well for starters, I'll be moving back to Santa Barbara," Mellie said brightly.

Fitz watched both children as they took the information in. Gerry who took his good looks from his mother didn't budge. He just sort of soaked it all in. Karen, who looked more like Fitz, dropped her eyes. Fitz knew she would feel the loss of her mother more. She was younger and a girl needed her mother. Karen was the reason he'd almost divorced Mellie years ago. He knew a female child that young had no business being shipped off to boarding school, but Mellie had been insistent. Gerry was now thirteen but Karen was just eleven. And even though she acted much older than her age, Fitz knew she was still in need of a mother's touch.

Fitz cleared his throat to get their attention. "Guys, if you want, you could move back in here with me."

Both children looked up at their father with hopeful eyes.

"What?" Mellie looked surprised and appalled all at the same time.

"You won't be here." Fitz spoke through clenched teeth as he shifted toward her. He turned back to the kids with a half smile. "I miss you guys, but I know you've made a lot of new friends at school, so I'll leave the choice up to you; just know that I'm always going to love you two and I'll be okay with whatever you decide."

Gerry nodded and grabbed Karen's hand. "Is that it?"

"Uh, most of the important stuff, yes." Fitz eyed his son. He knew something was going on, but the kids had always been close and he'd known they would want to talk about it.

"Okay," Gerry pulled Karen up and headed for the door. "Oh, and thanks Mom and Dad. Good talk."

Karen sensing her brother's urgency smiled and waved at her parents. "Yeah, good talk."

Fitz watched them disappear. "Well, that went well."

Mellie hopped up and moved toward the same door. "Yes, it did. I'm going to go finish packing."

"Mellie?"

"Yes?" She turned around with big, blue innocent eyes.

Fitz wanted to rip her a new one after she implied to the kids that he was the only one who'd met someone else, but she was almost out of the picture so he decided to let it slide. "Never mind."

She simply shrugged and pranced out of the room.

Cyrus poked his head in the door a moment later. "How'd it go?"

"Better than I thought it would, actually."

"Glad to hear it because there's something you need to see."

Fitz sighed heavily. "What is it now?"

"The Supreme Court just made a decision on the voter registration act and they're about to release it. It's not going to sit well with a lot of people and we should probably get a statement together now."

Fitz stood at attention. "Alright, lead the way."

* * *

James was ready to throw his head through the computer screen and both his head and laptop out of the window. He had run into more brick walls trying to track down information about this man than any other time in his career. He knew he shouldn't be surprised. Men at this level of government always had a lot of people and walls surrounding them, but this was unlike anything he'd ever seen. It took him four whole days to find out the man's full name, and that only happened with an illegal backdoor that he'd told himself long ago that he would never use again. He needed to be around for Ella after all; and with both her dads likely to go to jail at any given time, things weren't looking good for her. Although he supposed that a child could do worse than having the President of the United States and Olivia Pope as her godparents. That was his only consolation. If he and Cyrus did end up in jail, Ella would be well taken care of.

James slammed the laptop closed in frustration. This was not working, but he was not about to give up. In his world you were only as good as your last story and there was no way he was giving up a full thirty-minute interview with the president. His interview with Mellie had catapulted him to the top. Even though Cyrus may have been right about the circumstances surrounding that job, he would make it on his own; and this information Fitz asked him to look into would help him do that. Giving up was not an option. He'd just have to find another way.

* * *

What was a slight bulge last week, seemed to be a fully inflated football under Olivia's shirt today. She'd switched to maternity tops out of necessity. Her mind was on a thousand other things as she rounded the corner on Jake's hospital floor. Her security detail was right behind her.

"Congratulations Ms. Pope."

"Hmm?" Jake's nurse pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I said congratulations. You look beautiful."

Olivia smiled graciously. "Thank you."

"Captain Ballard should be getting out of physical therapy right about now and should be here in a few minutes. You can go on in his room if you'd like. He'll probably be happy to see you, he's been having a rough go of it in therapy the past couple of days."

Olivia frowned at the news. She knew it wasn't going to be easy, but was hoping that Jake's recovery wouldn't be a battle either. She noticed her detail about to check the room when Jake's detail informed them that no one had been in or out, save Jake and the medical staff. They all stepped aside and allowed her entry.

She'd only been waiting a few minutes when Jake was wheeled into the room. She watched as two male nurses situated him in the bed and then cleared the room.

Jake turned his head to look at her and his eyes landed squarely on her stomach. "So when is our baby due?"

Olivia reached for her stomach and rubbed it before standing up and walking over to his bed. She shook her head as she tried to come up with the right words. "Jake…"

"That's what we're telling everybody, right? That it's my baby?"

A lone tear slipped out. She knew this was all so unfair to him and she didn't want to hurt him any more. She wanted to say so much but all that came out was, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're expecting your first child and this should be a happy time for you. Just -let me ride on your magic carpet for a while, okay? Give me some motivation to get out of here." His eyes pleaded with her but he said nothing else.

She nodded and bent down to kiss his forehead. When she straightened she lifted his hand and placed it on her stomach, underneath her own. "We're due on October 25th."

"Does he know?"

She thought about the conversation she'd had with Fitz not too long ago and nodded.

He looked straight ahead for a moment after her confirmation but then turned his eyes back to her. "That's okay. I get to pretend that I have a beautiful fiancée and baby on the way, for a little while at least."

"Thank you Jake."

Jake pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. That was his only response, but Olivia considered it more than enough. With that simple gesture he communicated his support and that was all she needed from him for the time being.

* * *

The First Kids sat side by side in the white house theater watching the credits roll on the latest superhero movie out of Hollywood. Teddy was asleep between them.

"I'm moving back here." Gerry's face was hardened like stone. Karen knew that look. He always got it when his mind was made up. He looked just like their mother when he got that look.

"Ger, you should tell dad about the bullying."

"No, " he shook his head and dark curls swayed from side to side. "I can't tell him because then he'd go all Big Jerry on 'em and we just got him back from that last episode. I don't want to see that side of him again."

Karen was in agreement but thought Gerry really needed to talk to somebody. "Ger, he might understand."

"No. It's not going to happen. Don't you see? This is the perfect out. It's not like you're crazy about that prison either. I didn't want to go away in the first place. I don't think he wanted us to either, but mom…" he stopped short when he saw Karen's face fall. "Kare, mom loves us. I just don't think she knows how to show it. When we move back it'll be better. Dad's acting like himself again and Mom won't be here so we won't have to deal with all the fake, awkward moments like we used to. She'll even probably let you come visit every once and a while."

"What about you?" Karen looked over to her brother with sad eyes.

"What about me what?"

"Will you come visit with me?"

"Of course I will." He reached over Teddy and grabbed her hand. "I'll always be here for you Kare-bear. We're a family and that's what families do."

They watched Teddy sleep for a while before Gerry smiled. "What do you think our step-parents will be like?"

Karen fell over into a giggling fit as Gerry brought his feet up into the seat and turned to face her fully. "Who do you think Dad picked?"

Karen made a face and kept laughing. "Ugh, I hope it's not that crazy blond that couldn't keep her hands off of him on the campaign trail."

"Yeah me too. She was a little off."

Karen laughed louder. "She was more than off. She was derailed. What about Mom?"

Gerry grinned. "I bet it's that sleazy guy, remember the one with the light brown hair. He always looked a little slick to me."

"No, he didn't seem like mom's type. I think it might be that older guy. Remember the one with the white hair. He was helping her promote the read-a book every month campaign or something?"

"Oh, yeah. But honestly, it doesn't matter about who ever Mom ends up with. It's Dad's choice we have to worry about. We're going to be seeing a lot more of him, or them. I just hope he did a better job of picking this time around, because I am not going back to boarding school."

"We should go talk to Dad and make sure he knows how we feel," Karen said thoughtfully.

"You're right. We didn't have a say last time, but we should say something now." Gerry scooped Teddy up and they walked back to the residence to prepare for dinner.

* * *

Huck walked into the office and gave Quinn the look. She nodded and gathered her belongings together before moving toward the exit.

"Where are you two headed this time?" They stopped in their tracks as Abby's voice carried out of the conference room and into the hall.

"Nowhere." Quinn shrugged.

Abby walked out into the hallway and crossed her arms. "So you two have been sneaking out of here for the last few days to go nowhere?"

Quinn did an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, Huck's training me on more spy stuff. We're going to go do a stake-out. It should be fun, you wanna come?"

"Eww, no. Have fun." Abby turned and rejoined Stephen and Harrison in the conference room for dinner.

Quinn shrugged again. "Suit yourself."

Huck waited to speak until they were in the car. "What were you going to do if she said yes?"

"I knew she wouldn't. Abby hates sitting in parked cars unless it's with David Rosen."

A half smile appeared on Huck's face as he sped toward the house. When they arrived Quinn asked him to pop the trunk.

She grabbed a couple of bags and indicated that he should do the same.

They set the bags down once they were in the house and the alarm was turned off.

"I got blinds and navy blue drapes for the windows; the kind with a thick backing so you can't see through them. I hope that's okay?" Quinn rambled on as she pulled things out of bags.

"That's fine. I'm going to go check out the backyard."

* * *

"So how'd it go?" Olivia settled into bed with her phone to her ear. She'd had a tiring day at work but the visit with Jake went better than anyone could have predicted. After he gave her suggestions about colors for the nursery, He threw around baby names trying to elicit a laugh. Most of the names he suggested were characters from the old Andy Griffith show; Bea for a girl and Barney for a boy. She had to draw the line at Gomer and Goober but the laugh did her good. Now she waited to hear from her married boyfriend how the meeting where he told his kids about her went.

Fitz loosened his tie as he leaned back into the cushy leather chair. "Well, part A went fine except for the point where Mellie tried to throw me under the bus."

Olivia laughed. "Why do you actually sound shocked by that?"

Fitz shook his head. "I don't know." He sounded tired.

"And why was there a part B?"

"I guess they needed time to process. When we spoke before dinner, they cornered me, alone. They made sure to tell me that I needed to make a better choice for a wife this time or they wouldn't consent."

"Wow."

"Yeah, they also told me that if who ever it was didn't like them being around that they would not consent because as Gerry put it, 'I refuse to go back to boarding school.'"

"Good for him." She sat straight up hoping to get rid of some indigestion. "The look on their faces when I told them they were going to boarding school broke my heart. They couldn't find her for a couple hours afterward. I still can't believe Mellie wasn't even there for that."

"I can. I wish I had known about it sooner, I could've stopped it."

Olivia shook her head. "She told me you were in full agreement, that's the only reason I went ahead with it, but it broke my heart. I think that was my first introduction to the real Mellie."

Fitz took a deep breath. He felt like he had allowed Mellie to control and consequently destroy so much of his life. It was his fault but he was now taking full responsibility and moving on.

He smiled remembering the conversation. "They've already figured out who Mellie's seeing."

Liv laughed lightly. "They did not."

"No, really. They did. They asked about the person I was seeing also."

She swung her legs from the bed to the floor. "Did you tell them?"

"Yes."

There was a long pause before she spoke again.

"How'd they take it?"

"I think they were in shock at first, but I explained to them that this wasn't a fling or something I took lightly. I told them that we were in love and had been in love for a long time. I also told them that you fell in love with not only me, but them on the campaign trail."

She smiled. "That's very true."

"I know. That's part of why I love you so much."

"Thank you. Did they say anything else?"

"Uh, not really. I told them they could talk to you if they wanted, you know to ask any questions. You'd be okay with that, right?"

"Absolutely, they've been through enough without wandering around in the dark trying to figure out things by themselves."

"Livy, thank you."

"Fitz, you don't have to thank me. We are in this together. We are going to make this work together. We will be a family."

* * *

**Thank you Gladiators! Your comments and questions, reviews and favorites mean the world. And I know there wasn't a lot of action or Olitz time in this chapter but we needed some groundwork laid before we could move forward. Also, I know a lot of you have questions about Huck and Quinn. Hang in there. There's a method to the madness. Have a great week!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Can you talk now?"

Fitz poked his head into Cyrus' office where he'd put Olivia earlier in the evening so she could get some work done. It was Sunday night, and Mellie had vacated the premises the day before. From what Fitz said, Gerry and Karen were chomping at the bit to speak to Liv.

She smiled and nodded, looking up from her laptop. "Yep, just need one minute to finish up this email. You can send them in though."

Karen and then Gerry filed into the office followed by Fitz.

"Guys, Livy needs just a minute to finish up something she's working on and then she's all yours."

"Okay," both children answered in unison.

Olivia glanced up again and looked at Fitz who looked like he was about to fall apart at any second. She stopped herself from laughing outright but shooed him away.

"Go, we'll be fine. I'll come find you when we're done."

As soon as Fitz had cleared the office, Olivia finished typing her sentence, hit send and looked at her future stepchildren.

Gerry cleared his throat. "Liv, before you say anything, we want you to know that we're happy it's you. We're happy you and Dad are together."

Liv looked over to Karen. "Both of you?"

Karen nodded. "Yes, we remember how you treated us on the campaign trail, and you always cared about how we were doing, so we're happy."

Olivia smiled and closed the laptop so she could stand and give them a hug. When she did Karen's face fell.

"You're having a baby?" The little girl's voice was barely above a whisper.

Liv looked down and back up to Karen and nodded. "Yes, but…" She didn't get the chance to finish the thought because Karen ran from the room in tears.

Olivia's eyes were as big as half dollars. She slowly turned to Gerry. "I take it your Dad didn't tell you two that I was pregnant."

Gerry stared at her stomach. "Uh, no. He failed to mention that."

Olivia nodded. "Come on, let's go."

She and Gerry took the stairs closest to them and walked up to the residence. They found Karen lying on her bed, crying her eyes out. Liv knocked but didn't bother waiting for a response. She sat near the head of the bed and pulled Karen up into a sitting position and shifted her so that the girl was leaning on her chest.

"Hey, what happened to 'we're happy'?"

Karen looked up with red, puffy eyes. She pulled away from Olivia and pointed to her stomach. "That happened! Now you're going to be too busy taking care of a baby to be bothered about the three of us."

Olivia grabbed both sides of her face and kissed her forehead. "Kare-bear, I love you and Gerry and Teddy because you're great kids. No one, not even this baby can change that. If anything you three have had a head start on this little one. You've already worked your way into my heart. Karen, I assure you that I have more than enough love to go around for you and your bothers or possibly sister. In fact, you will probably be sick of me before I stop loving you all."

Karen hiccupped and leaned back to Olivia. "Promise?"

"I promise." She reached for Gerry's hand and pulled him closer. "It didn't happen the conventional way, but guys, we are a family. The love I have for your dad and you kids is not something I can stop even if I wanted to. You guys are it for me." She rubbed her stomach and looked both of them in the eye. "We are, all six of us, now a family."

Karen sniffled and grinned up at Olivia. "Liv?'

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"I'll never get sick of you."

Olivia placed a kiss on top of the girl's head and stroked her hair. "That's nice of you to say sweetie, but you haven't hit your teenage years yet."

"What?"

"Never mind. Come on let's go find Teddy. I think we owe him a bed time story."

* * *

Quinn and Huck descended the steps of the new house to answer the loud knocking on the front door. Quinn peeked through the peephole. "It's a guy with a pizza. I can't see his face though."

Huck reached for his gun but kept it behind his back.

"It's probably the wrong address, but I want to be ready just in case. Go ahead and open it."

Quinn did as Huck said but spoke to the guy who still had his head down. "Hi, we didn't order a pizza, so you probably have the wrong address."

The guy raised his head and flashed a million dollar smile. "No, I've got the right place."

"Harrison?" Quinn shrieked his name and yanked him inside. "What are you doing here? How did you know where we were?"

Huck only shook his head and placed the gun back in its resting place. Harrison caught the move and walked further into the house. "Now is that any way to greet your neighborhood welcoming committee? And I'm just saying, you could've told us you two were moving in together. We would have celebrated with you. I mean you two kids fall in love and want to be together. I get it. I do, but you just up and buy a house and don't even let your family know what you're up to?"

Huck took the pizza box from him and placed it on the kitchen counter. "We're not in love and we're not moving in together."

Harrison placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, thank God, because that would have been a little freaky. Now don't get me wrong, I am a very open-minded individual, but even I can only take so much."

Huck and Quinn both grabbed a slice of pizza.

"How'd you know where to find us?" Quinn asked again.

Harrison grabbed a slice and joined his office mates on the floor. "I followed you two the other day. I wasn't buying that whole 'extra spy lessons' line. So really, if you two aren't playing house, what are you doing here?"

Huck swallowed just intime to answer. "This is the house Olivia grew up in. Remember when she told us what happened, she said her dad cleaned it up and made her help him bury the body in the back yard?"

"Yeah," Harrison nodded.

"Well, after I found the house, I got to thinking that it's sitting on one of the busiest intersections in the city. Traffic runs through this area constantly. Considering how busy he's been over the last twenty years, I didn't think he'd had a chance to remove the body."

Harrison smiled. "And if we can get rid of the evidence against Olivia, we can use what she has to bring him down."

"Exactly." Quinn nodded. "We've checked out the house to make sure he didn't have any skeletons in the closets or the walls. Now we just need to break up the concrete patio that takes up ninety percent of the back yard. At least it's a city house and the yard isn't humongous."

Harrison sobered up and lifted his slice of pizza in a sort of salute. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you two scare the crap out of me on most days."

Quinn smiled sweetly. "Aww, what a nice thing to say."

* * *

"Honey, when are you coming to bed?"

James turned his head toward his office door when he heard Cyrus' voice.

"Soon dear! I'm just checking my email." James logged into his account and saw the email he'd been waiting all weekend for. He opened it and a huge smile spread across his face. The person was willing to speak with him.

He'd run across her name in a rare bit of news about the secret organization headed by Rowan. The article was almost seventeen years old though, so he didn't know if the woman was still in the spy game; but she had worked along side Rowan at some point and that was good enough for James. She agreed to meet him in an out of the way bookstore and coffee shop in Maryland the next morning.

He turned off his laptop with one more fist pump and moved down the hall to check on a sleeping Ella. After he made sure she was okay, he turned in with a smile on his face.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Cyrus asked, looking up from his book.

"Oh nothing." James flashed a cryptic smile. "Things are just going well at work."

"Good." Cyrus reached over to turn out the light. "Glad to hear it. And James, I'm sorry about what I said before about how you got this job. You really are a great reporter."

James turned to face Cy in the dark. "Thank you, honey. That was kind of you to say."

* * *

Olivia walked into the oval office to find Fitz massaging his temple with one hand and a report in the other.

"Long day?"

He looked up and smiled, fatigue etched on his face. "It's better now," he said as he dropped the report and extended his hand to her. "Are all of the little Grants asleep, or at least in bed?"

Olivia shook her head as he pulled her down on his lap. She placed her hand on her belly and patted it lightly. "All except this one. This one is having a party."

Fitz rubbed her stomach and bent his head until his mouth was just inches away. "Hey you in there, settle down. It's bedtime."

"Ow!" Olivia grabbed her belly a moment later. "I think your voice had the opposite effect. Junior is now having a rave."

Fitz placed his hand over hers and laughed. "I would say something else," he whispered, "but you might not get to sleep tonight if I did."

"No, don't," she laughed back.

"So, how'd it go with Karen and Gerry?"

"Well, after the mini-melt down that occurred after Karen saw that I was pregnant, it went fine."

"Oh, no." he slapped himself on the head. "Before I walked into the office, I had all intentions of telling them about the baby together. I don't where my head was. I'm sorry Livy."

Olivia kissed him quickly. "You've got a pretty demanding job, so you're excused this time."

"Thank you." He pulled the back of her hair gently intending to go in for a kiss but was stopped by a ringing phone. "Sorry, but no one calls me on this line unless it's important."

Liv nodded as he picked up the phone. She started to move off his lap but he tightened his grip around her waist letting her know she should stay. After a few clipped sentences and tense sighs, Fitz hung up the phone.

Olivia brushed his superman curl back in place. "Bad news?"

Fitz let his head fall back. "Uh, yeah. You could say that. We just had the names of several CIA operatives leaked on a website on the other side of the world."

Olivia gasped. "Billy Chambers wasn't the mole?"

Fitz pinched his nose. "Or more likely, he wasn't working alone."

He pushed her up and stood behind her before kissing the top of her head. "Go get some rest. I'm going to be up for a while."

She yawned and nodded. "I am a little tired."

Fitz wrapped his arms around her from behind and spoke softly in her ear. "You know Mellie has moved out. You could stay here tonight if you wanted."

Olivia turned and placed a hand on his cheek. "No I can't. We are going to take this part of our relationship nice and slow for the children's sake."

* * *

James wandered around the bookstore for about ten minutes trying to see if he could pick out his source. When he couldn't, he purchased a book along with a cup of coffee and took a seat in a booth along the wall. There were tables in the middle of the little room that served as the café portion of the store, and the booths lining the wall had fairly low backs. James had to admit that the seating arrangement along with the décor made for quite a lovely atmosphere. He started thumbing through his purchase, a book for Ella, when he noticed one of the store employees wander in. Judging by the look on his face, he was late.

_He is so fired._

The store had only been open for twenty minutes, so there were only a handful of people milling about. He enjoyed people watching and took the opportunity to do it now. After another fifteen minutes had passed, he glanced down at his watch and surmised that his source was not going to show. James started to gather his book and coffee to leave when he noticed a sweet grandmotherly figure walk past and slide into the booth behind him.

_Oh, that's sweet_, he thought. _She must be here looking for books for her grandchildren._

"Leaving so soon, sonny?"

He smiled and nodded while stuffing the book in the plastic bag. He tried to look over his shoulder as he spoke. "Yes, I was meeting someone, but they haven't come." He gathered his empty sugar packets and wiped over the ring of liquid made by his coffee cup. "I'll try to contact them later." He turned to face the elderly woman but was spooked when her voice dropped a few octaves.

"Do not look directly at me. Turn back in your seat so that you're facing away from me." What her voice now lacked in airiness, it made up for in intensity.

James gulped down a mouthful of air when he was back in his original position. "You're Coleen Snow?" He whispered the question afraid of what she'd do if she were disobeyed.

"Yes, that's right. I was waiting to see what book you would choose and where you would sit. If you'd made the wrong choice in either instance, I wouldn't be here now." She spoke hurriedly; the pace much like he was used to hearing when working in the white house or down on Capitol Hill.

He glanced down at the book in his hand, a Lewis Carroll classic titled _Through the Looking Glass_. "It's for my daughter's story time."

"I figured as much. Now, about your email; what is your interest in Rowan?"

James swallowed again. He suspected that the wrong answer would lead him to another brick wall, but not telling the truth would likely get him into trouble sooner rather than later. "I'm a reporter…"

"I know who you are." Coleen cut him off. "Pet reporter to the first couple."

James cleared his throat, not sure what to make of her 'pet reporter' comment. "Ah right, well, I was asked to look into Mr. Rowan by someone of… importance."

"Yes, well, let's hope it's the right important person; they need to be important enough to bring that bastard down."

James raised his eyebrow at that.

"Do not look at me." She felt rather than saw James begin to turn at her last words. "Now take the book out of the plastic bag."

James did as he was told and watched in awe as she morphed back into a sweet, elderly grandmother. She finished her scone, rose, and paused to stop by James' table; her grandmotherly voice back in place.

"Oh, what a lovely book."

James played along as best he could. "Yes, it's for my daughter."

She nodded and smiled. She placed a card down in front of him. "Come by my house on Wednesday evening. We'll have a lovely discussion among book lovers about that particular book."

James nodded. "Ah, yes ma'am. I would love to."

"Good." She patted his shoulder. "See you then sonny boy."

* * *

Huck walked into his office a few minutes later than usual. The late nights at the new house were beginning to get to him. He saw a card on his chair and picked it up. He'd never told anyone his birthday so he wasn't sure why a card with his name would be in his office. Never mind that his birthday had passed recently. He opened the card slowly and saw a purchase order for a local business. The bill was signed by Harrison Wright. Huck shoved the card in his pocket and walked into Harrison's office. He closed the door behind him once he knew they were alone.

"What's this?" Huck held the card up.

"House warming gift."

"I don't understand."

Harrison flashed a charming smile. "My cousin Mike is in free-lance construction. He and his crew are scheduled to tear up your concrete patio today around lunchtime."

Huck started to shake his head. "We can't have people-"

"No worries. They've been paid to use the jackhammer then leave. I'll meet you and Quinn tonight after work?"

"Uh, yeah." Huck reached for the doorknob then turned back. "Thanks."

Harrison gave him a quick nod. "Family."

"Right."

* * *

"Hi."

Olivia smiled into the phone. She was amazed that his voice still had the power to make her weak in the knees. "Hi."

"How was your day?"

"A little hectic. What about you?"

Fitz leaned back and spun around to look out the window. "Same. This new leak has got the defense community on edge and rightfully so."

"Any leads?"

"Not yet, but enough about that. What are you doing this weekend?"

"Uh, helping Jake get settled back into his apartment on Saturday, but nothing on Sunday."

Fitz was silent for several moments. "I didn't realize he was ready to leave the hospital."  
"Oh yeah, he apparently turned a corner for the better over the last couple of days. The doctors gave him a tentative release if he does okay this week, but everyone's expecting him to."

Fitz blew out a breath. "That's good." He didn't know why he was so upset. It was his fault that everyone now thought Liv and Jake were together. And to be fair, Jake and this little lie saved his presidency. He knew he simply needed to just get over it. It would only be for a few more years anyway. He loved Olivia and she loved him; and come hell or high water, that baby would know it was a Grant.

He took a deep breath. "What about Sunday?"

Liv smiled. "Sunday is perfect. What's going on?"

"The kids and I are going to head to Camp David for the weekend. We would love for you to join us."

She smiled again. "I would love to."

"Okay, good. I'll talk to you before then, but we'll see you on Sunday. I'll just have your detail drive you up; and Livy, I love you."

"I love you back."

* * *

**So the tables have turned a bit and Fitz is now the other man. How do you think he's going to handle that? LOL. And what about James? As always, I love your feedback. It is light and motivation. Okay, that's it for now gladiators. Have a great week (on purpose if you have to) ;-)**

**Peace and Blessings.**


	11. Chapter 11

**In honor of Kerry getting married, this chapter is essentially fluff. LOL. Okay, I'm done, but I was so excited for her. Also I want to send out an apology to those of you who were having trouble leaving reviews or accessing the last chapter. Apparently the site was having technical difficulties, but it was fixed. Thanks for sticking with the story. I hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

Olivia reached over to tug the zipper on her overnight bag closed. She wasn't staying overnight because she expected to be in her office bright and early tomorrow morning, but she had packed a few things like a bathing suit, a change of clothes and sneakers. Fitz hadn't told her what the schedule for the day was, but she wanted to be prepared for anything that came up.

Her cell phone rang just as her driver pulled up to the gates of Camp David. She figured it was Fitz checking on her exact whereabouts until she noticed the number on the screen. She grinned like a schoolgirl when she answered.

"Hi Dad, no I can talk."

The conversation lasted several minutes and she was on the phone when the car pulled up to Laurel House, the main cabin of the wooded retreat. Before she exited the car, she quietly thanked her detail and promised to see them that evening. She was laughing on her way up the steps to the cabin when Fitz opened the door and greeted her with a smile. She smiled back and put up one finger to let him know she'd only be a moment.

"Okay, Dad, you too."

A frown crossed Fitz's face as he listened to her words. He had closed the door to the cabin and was stalking toward her, intending to snatch the phone out of her hand and give Rowan a piece of his mind when Olivia, guessing his intentions, turned quickly and stepped out of his reach.

"Alright, give Mom my love."

Fitz came to an abrupt halt and waited for her to finish the call. He ran a hand down his face to collect his thoughts.

"Aww, thanks Dad. I feel the same way. Love you too."

She pushed the 'end' button on her phone and smiled. Fitz's eyebrows were millimeters away from his hairline by the time she turned back around.

"Well? Who was that?"

Olivia only shook her head. "Well good morning to you too, Mr. Grumpy Pants."

"Liv."

She huffed pretend annoyance and reached for the bag at her feet. Fitz snatched the bag out of her hand and stood in front of her, effectively blocking her path.

"I'm sorry. Good morning Olivia."

"Thank you. Good morning Fitz."

"Who was on the phone?"

"Jake's parents."

"Jake's parents are now mom and dad?"

She shrugged. "They insisted, especially since we talk so often."

"Why?"

"Because they're very sweet people and they wanted to make sure I felt welcome into their family."

"Olivia, stop playing games. Why do you talk to them so often."

Liv took a deep breath to calm herself. On most days his jealous streak was tolerable, it even sometimes crossed the line to adorable. Today, however, it was just plain exasperating.

"We talk because they are concerned about their son. We talk because they think I am carrying their son's child, their grandchild, and they want to make sure that I'm alright. They came to visit Jake, but both of them are older and on several medications. The vacation they were on, when Jake got shot, cost them a lot of money because they had to pay for a medical attendant to go along with them. They took the vacation even though they knew what it would cost them because they wanted to be able to take one last trip together, while they could both enjoy it. They want to be with their son, but simply can't afford to. They were happy to know that someone was looking after him. That's all Fitz."

Fitz knew he was out of line. He felt like a boy being reprimanded for some naughty act. He knew it, but it didn't really change his feelings.

"Okay." Fitz pulled her hand, but she didn't budge.

He looked up then took a step back and stared down at her. "Livy, I'm sorry. You're right as usual. The Ballards have a right to be concerned about their son. It's just that this whole situation is frustrating the hell out of me. You and our baby are supposed to be with me and only me, but life rarely plays out the way you want it to. Still, that's no excuse to take it out on you. Please forgive me?"

Fitz wrapped his free hand around her waist and placed a kiss on top of her head.

Olivia glared up at him with bright eyes. She took one more gulp of air. Curse these hormones. They would not make her cry right now.

"After the baby comes, we have one year to get you re-elected. If you get re-elected, that's four more years of sharing me," she placed her hand on her stomach and rubbed it slowly, "of sharing us. It's bad enough the baby won't realize what's going on when Jake suddenly …" She stopped as she tried to stem the flow of tears.

"I know." Fitz pulled her closer and kissed her again. "I know. I'll just deal with it, okay?"

When she nodded he released his hold on her and reached for her hand. She allowed him to lead her up the stairs and into the main cabin where Teddy, Karen and Gerry were waiting.

* * *

"This is exhausting." Harrison leaned back into his chair as Quinn and Huck did the same. The other two nodded in agreement as they surveyed their work. It had taken a few days, but they had finally cleared all of the busted concrete out of the backyard of the house. Thankfully Rowan had planted evergreens along the perimeter of the yard several years ago, so they didn't have to worry about nosy neighbors. The trees were well over fifteen feet high blocking both views and noise.

Next they would have to set up a search grid. Each square yard of the space would be sectioned off and numbered; then Huck would get to have a little fun. His ground penetrating radar or GPR, as he affectionately called it, would be put to use.

He built the device from spare machines such as microwaves and old cars, along with toy remotes, bicycles and an aging laptop. The contraption was almost as tall as he was but it wasn't bulky, so it could be maneuvered easily. Any section of the yard that showed abnormalities in soil displacement would be dug up meticulously until they found what they were after. It would take a while, but Huck was glad Harrison had joined their ranks. It should go much smoother with three people as opposed to two.

"Come on guys," Huck stood and stretched. "We can start the next part after work tomorrow."

Yes, three people would make this a lot easier if what Huck suspected was lurking beneath the ground was actually there.

* * *

James walked back and forth across the nursery with Ella, bouncing her as he went along. She'd fallen asleep long ago, but he was nervous. On Wednesday he'd be meeting with at least one super spy and God only knew who else. He thought over the events of the last week and shook his head. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Track down the only known contact to the most powerful black ops assassin group in the nation's capital and simply ask her a few questions.

He paced some more before looking down at his daughter.

"Maybe I should update my will, just in case."

"In case what?"

Cyrus' voice caused James to nearly jump out of his skin, but he recovered quickly and only shrugged.

"Oh, you know how crazy the world is nowadays. I just want to be prepared in case anything happens."

Cyrus squinted his eyes as he considered his husband's words. "Well, maybe you're right. I guess it doesn't hurt to be prepared. I'm going to look over a few briefings in my office for a bit."

James nodded as Cy walked away then stole a glance down at a wide-awake baby girl. His acrobatics earlier must have woken her. "Either your other dad is getting sentimental or he's up to something, what do you think, sweet pea?"

* * *

Abby looked up as she turned her computer to the off position and shut down her monitor. Stephen had just poked his head into the doorway.

"You done for the night?"

"Yep," she nodded. "I just needed to set up some appointments for tomorrow morning so we could have the ball rolling when Liv gets in."

He bobbed his head in understanding. "Same here. Come on, I'll walk out with you."

She hesitated only a moment. "Um, yeah sure. Okay."

They had locked up and were on their way down, in the elevator, when Stephen turned to her. "Let me ask you something."

"What?" Abby glanced sideways. She'd had a thing for Stephen before he left and married Georgia, but she was over it, mostly. She'd been avoiding him, hoping to sidestep any awkward moments, but it looked like she wouldn't be so lucky today.

"What are Huck, Quinn and Harrison up to lately?"

"Oh!" Abby shook her head and laughed nervously. "That. You noticed it too, huh?"

He laughed along with her as they exited the building. "Yeah, I mean it's hard not to."

"Right. Well, I'm sure it will all come out soon enough. Nothing stays secret around here for long."

He laughed again. "True. Hey, what're you doing for dinner?"

"Me? Uh, nothing why?"

Stephen nodded his head in the direction of the Chinese restaurant across the street. "Because my stomach is rumbling and we haven't really had time to chat since I've been back. You've been like crazy busy."

"Oh, yeah, well I guess we could enjoy a friendly dinner."

"Good. Off we go then."

They jaywalked across the street and waited patiently for the greeter to come back to the front podium after seating another party. Before the greeter made it back, Stephen excused himself to go to the restroom. A minute later a diminutive woman came back to the dais and smiled at Abby.

"One?"

"Uh, no. There's two of us; my friend just went to the bathroom."

"Okay, right this way please."

Abby followed slowly enough to keep an eye on the hostess while at the same time looking over her shoulder to make sure Stephen knew which direction to go in. When she glanced back over her shoulder once more, she almost melted into the floor. Mr. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia himself, David Rosen, walked in with his assistant Alissa.

Abby turned quickly toward the hostess and followed her to the table. Stephen would have to fend for himself. She whipped out her phone and sent him a quick text with directions to the table and kept her head down hoping David wouldn't see her. She had just gotten to the point where she wasn't thinking about him every waking moment and needed that to continue for sanity's sake. She thought she was home free until the hostess led David and Alissa right by her table.

"Hey, Red," Alissa called out brightly. "David, look who it is."

David turned slowly and eyed Abby up and down. "Abby."

All she could offer was a tight-lipped smile. "David. Alissa, nice to see you again."

The younger woman smiled. "Thanks, are you here alone because you can totally join us."

"Uh, no. I'm here with a co-worker."

Stephen popped up like magic and slid into the booth opposite Abby. "Sorry, love. I had to take a phone call."

"It's okay. David and Alissa were keeping me company."

Stephen looked up as he noticed them for the first time. "Oh, sorry. Good to see you both, and David I understand congratulations are in order for your new position as D.C.'s U.S. Attorney."

"Oh, thanks. Stephen, right? I didn't realize you were back with Olivia."

"Yeah, it just happened. Just trying to get back in the swing of things. Would you two care to join us?"

"No!" David and Abby spoke at the same time.

David straightened his tie and cleared his throat. "Alissa and I will just head on over to our own table."

Abby had to bite her lip to keep a smile from appearing on her face when they walked away. When Stephen called her 'love', David's face turned three different shades of red. _Thank God_. She smiled again. Stephen's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"So, how long have you two been broken up?"

* * *

Liv watched the kids frolicking around the pool from the lounge chair on the deck. She'd been in the water with them earlier, but she noticed that she was now getting tired doing things she never even thought about before. She stood, with some effort and walked over to the bar area to pour drinks for everyone. She also pulled some fruit out of the cooler, wanting to make sure everyone stayed hydrated. It was hot out and there was very little cloud cover, but it was easy to forget a little thing like hydration when you were surrounded by water.

She was half way through her task when she felt strong arms snake around her mid section. Fitz kissed the top of her head and gently removed the pitcher from her hand. He finished topping off the glasses and set the vessel aside. His hands found their way back to her belly and rubbed gently.

"You still mad at me?"

"Yes."

"Sweetheart, I'm so sorry." He huffed out a sigh. "I'll work on my jealousy and my temper, just please don't do anything rash, like leave me."

Olivia turned slowly and looked up into his face. What she saw melted her heart. She pulled his hand until he followed her over to one of the more sturdy chairs. She pushed him down and gingerly sat in his lap before grabbing both sides of his face.

"I'm sorry I put you through that, the running away. I know it was hard on you. You have to believe that I wouldn't do that sort of thing without a reason, but my two major concerns are gone. Your wife and my father are out of the picture, well almost. And that means I'm here to stay. Now, yes, you're going to have to learn how to get better with sharing, but I can work with that. Maybe I'll set up a few play dates or something, but Fitz, that's not a reason to leave. You can't get rid of me that easily. I love you, and I'm in it for the long haul."

"The long haul, huh? You promise?"

Olivia grinned broadly before tilting her head back. "Yes. I do."

"I love hearing you say those two words together." He returned the smile and covered her lips with his own. She stopped him when she felt his hands wander upward.

"Fitz, the kids."

He stopped his hands, but laughed a low rumbling sound that filled her ears and caused her to shiver despite the temperature. His lips worked their way down to her neck. "They're going to have to get used to it sooner or later, might as well be now."

"Fitz." Liv pulled away and looked around to make sure the kids weren't watching. "May I remind you, Mr. President, that you are not divorced."

"Yet."

"Mmhmm, and we're taking it slow in front of the kids."

"Only because you insisted. I don't think it will damage them permanently if they witness a few P.D.A.s"

She stood slowly and backed away with a grin. He stood to his full height pretending to stretch and started moving forward. When Fitz got within two feet, Liv faked left then spun right and scurried to the pool screaming. She curled up in a ball and jumped into the deep end. Fitz was right behind her and hollered, "Cannon Ball!" as the kids shrieked in delight and ducked for cover. Everyone swam for Fitz to try to keep him under as long as possible. Liv held onto Teddy while Fitz threw Karen and Gerry several feet up in the air making sure they hit the water with a large splash and a lot of laughs. When the kids were tired of attacking dear old dad, Olivia let them know about the snacks waiting at the bar.

"Help your brother out of the pool," he called after the older two. "And take those blasted air puff things off his arms. He looks like he's about to fly away."

Fitz swam over to Liv when he was sure the kids were occupied. She looked around and Fitz grabbed for her hands.

"They aren't paying us any attention."

She nodded then slipped under the water for a few seconds. Olivia broke the surface, wiped her face and tried to swim away. She tried, but she wasn't fast enough.

"Are you crying?" Concern etched his face.

She tried to evade him. "I cry at everything now. It's nothing to worry about."

"Livy," he pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "You're crying for a reason. Talk to me please."

She sniffled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I just… I just wasn't sure if we'd ever get here. I mean… we're here."

"At Camp David?"

Fitz received a swift punch in the arm for his awful joke.

"Ouch!" He grabbed her and spun her around, laughing. "I know. I get it. It's been a long road and we aren't finished yet, but this is … nice, right?"

Liv glanced over at the three giggling kids stuffing their faces at the bar; then she looked down at her expanding waistline and smiled as she leaned back into him. "Yeah. It's nice."

* * *

**Alright gladiators, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the fluff. As always, thank you for the reviews and favorites/follows. I appreciate you more than you know. Have a wonderful week. **


	12. Chapter 12

Olivia glanced down at the chirping cell phone in her hand as she walked toward her SUV. It was only seven in the morning so that likely meant the team had made a recent discovery on their latest case.

"What?"

There was a long pause on the other end before anyone spoke. "Olivia, dear, is everything alright?"

She stopped mid stride, kicking herself mentally. She had more than herself to think of now. She shook it off and proceeded to the vehicle.

"Mom, yes, sorry. I was distracted. Is everything okay with you and Dad?"

"Oh, yes, dear. We are quite well, and that's why I called to thank you. I just know you had something to with it."

Liv slowed her pace once more. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean."

Jake's mom was happy to keep talking. "Well, yesterday afternoon we received a call from three pharmaceutical companies telling us that all of our medication would now be taken care of under some program they have for seniors. And then last night we got a call from the owner of a private plane, and he told us that we could see Jake whenever we wanted."

_Fitz._

Olivia smiled and shook her head at the same time. "Ah, mom, that wasn't me."

"Oh come dear, you're just being modest."

_Jake must've had a wonderful childhood. _"No ma'am, I'm not. I had nothing to do with it. You don't give Jake enough credit. He does a lot of good in this town and people are happy to be there for him now that he needs them."

She made a few more motherly noises that let Olivia know that she was gushing over her son.

"Well, then thank you for taking such good care of him. He told me last night how much you do for him and you're still running your business. You just make sure you're setting enough time aside for you and the baby to rest."

"I will, I promise." Liv pulled the phone away from her ear when she heard a beep. "Uh, mom, my other line is beeping and I need to get this call, do you mind if we finish up later? Okay, love you too." The line switched over automatically and Olivia shifted into work mode. "Yes, senator? What can I do for you?"

* * *

"Sir?"

Rowan looked up from the file sprawled across his desk. "Yes. What is it?"

The young man stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him. "You were right. The guy is a reporter and he's pretty heavily connected with the white house. We have a tail on him like you asked and we'll keep an eye on him further. He may be trying to connect with a retired agent tonight."

"Thank you, agent. That will be all."

"Yes sir."

When the door shut Rowan leaned back into his chair. "So the white house wants to check up on me, hmm? Well I'd hate to disappoint them." He picked up the phone on his desk and punched in a few numbers then waited patiently for the call to be picked up. He didn't have to wait long as a thickly accented voice came across.

"This ish ze flower shoppe. How may I help you?"

Rowan smiled brightly, and started the conversation in perfect Dutch. "Bloemist, mijn oude vriend. Hoe gaat het?"

A pregnant pause soaked up space on the other end of the line before the man spoke again. There was a tiredness in his voice that wasn't there when he picked up the phone. "Mr. Rowan. I am fine, thank you. Only, I am surprised to hear your voice after all this time."

Rowan laughed cordially. "Well, yes it has been some time, but I find myself in need of your services once more."

"I see." The other man spoke politely. "How many?"

"Oh, just one. And this will likely be the last time."

"Alright then. Please hold one moment while I get a pencil to take down the information."

Rowan flicked a pretend fleck of dust off his suit jacket. "Absolutely. You just let me know when you're ready."

* * *

James bounced around nervously. In a few hours he would be headed over to Coleen Snow's house to hear what she had to say about Rowan. She had said that she wanted to bring him down. Hopefully that meant that Rowan had pissed off enough people to make his job easier. People were usually willing to talk when they weren't happy with what was going on at the top levels of company. Although, James thought, this was the first time digging up dirt on the head man might lead to his execution.

"Ugh. I have got to be more positive. I'm bringing myself down with all this negative thinking."

He finished giving Ella her lunch, changed her, and laid her down for her afternoon nap before handing her off to the nanny.

"I'm going to go for a quick run around the neighborhood. I'll be back shortly."

"No problem sir." The girl smiled back at him. "We'll see you soon."

* * *

Olivia licked what remained of the marinara sauce off the back of the fork while Jake cleaned up the kitchen.

"Mmm. That was so good. Thank you for fixing lunch Jake."

He smiled and turned back around to the sink. "You are more than welcome. We have to keep little Pope fed, now don't we? Besides, I'm going stir crazy in here. The physical therapist comes every other day and besides Frick and Frack standing outside my door there and frequent parental phone calls, I have no other company except you. So if cooking is what it takes to get you here, I'm all for it."

She stood and walked her plate and glass over to him. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard on someone like you who's used to moving at a million miles a minute."

He snorted as he washed the few items. "You'll see what it's like, and trust me. It's no picnic."

Olivia wasn't sure what he meant. She leaned against the kitchen counter looking up at him. "What do you mean, I'll see what it's like?"

He placed the clean glass and plate in the rack next to the sink and dried his hands. "Well, at some point, you're going to have to slow down to have that baby. And since knowing you for as long as I have, I can guess that the first few days you'll be totally consumed with your little bundle of joy. After that, you'll be climbing the walls." He held up a hand to stop her protest. "Don't get me wrong, I know you're going to make a terrific mother, but your legal mind, the one that keeps half of D.C. out of trouble at any given moment, will be wondering what to do with itself after about a week."

She couldn't even form an argument to rebut him, so she only smiled and shrugged her shoulders. He was probably right. Apparently they'd spent more time together than she thought. "Maybe."

"Aw, come on. You know I'm right." Jake grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. He held on longer than necessary and bent his head to whisper in her ear. "Anyway, thanks for coming."

Olivia let herself settle into the embrace, reasoning that she was just grateful for everything he was doing for her; but even as she told herself that, a small, niggling voice in the back of her mind expressed doubt that gratitude was the only emotion she felt for Jake.

"You're welcome, and don't forget to call your mother."

He laughed at that. "Don't worry. I talk to them almost as much as you do."

She looked up at him with a grin and he brushed a stray curl out of the way. "Liv, I don't know how this is all going to play out, but can you…" He paused a moment to collect his thoughts.

"Can I what? What is it Jake?"

He ran a hand through his hair wondering if he were about to ask too much. "Can you try to make sure that you keep in touch with my parents?"

She nodded slowly. "That won't be a problem. I love your parents, you know that."

"I know, and I really appreciate what've you've done so far. But I meant even after the baby comes. It's just that they had me late in life and they weren't sure if they'd live to see any grandchildren. When they found out about you, they were over the moon and I just don't want to break their hearts anymore."

"Jake, your parents are the only grandparents this baby will know. With Fitz's parents and my mother all dead, and we won't even get into my father… trust me. That won't be a problem."

"Thank you." He placed a kiss on the side of her head. "I guess you better get back to work before they report you missing."

* * *

The young man watched James as he exited his car and made his way up the sidewalk. He timed it so that they would meet where the sidewalk and the walkway of the house met.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Yes?" James looked up warily. "Would you mind taking this order of flowers up to the door with you? I'm actually running late and need to be across town in five minutes."

James looked around and then back at the delivery guy. He seemed legit and there was a cellophane panel in the box that showed that there was nothing else in the package, so James grabbed the box and headed up to Ms. Snow's house. He reached the door and took a few calming breaths before reaching for the bell. He waited patiently after he pushed the button and saw Coleen Snow a few moments later. He walked in and saw three others standing with Coleen.

"Hello." James stretched out his hand for her to take the flower box and suddenly wished he hadn't. Four guns were immediately pointed at his head. All four started shouting at once.

"Get on your knees!"

"Where did you get that?"

"Who are you working for?"

"Why did you come here?"

James fell to his knees in a panic with a scream. He threw his hands up over his face in an x hoping to stop any bullets headed his way. "Please don't kill me! I have a baby."

"Open the box." Coleen pointed her gun toward the box still in James' hand. He did as he was instructed and held it out for them to see.

"It's just a black dahlia. See?" He pushed the box out further.

"Where did you get it?" One of the men wanted to know.

James used his other hand to point toward the door. "A delivery guy just met me as I was coming up the walkway. He asked me to bring it in because he was running late."

"Dammit." Another women, with a raspy voice, spoke.

James looked between the four older people. "Why? What is it? What does it mean?" James' knees were screaming for relief but he didn't dare move.

Coleen took the box out of his hand and pulled the flower out making sure to check out every corner of the box. There was nothing else, only the flower.

"It means that Rowan knows we are meeting you here."

"It also means," the last elderly gentleman spoke up, "that all of us will likely be dead by morning."

* * *

"Secure line please."

Fitz waited for the line to click and then he dialed Olivia.

"Hi."

He smiled. "Hi. I miss you."

She tried to hide a yawn, but it didn't work. "I miss you too. I'm glad you called when you did I almost fell asleep."

He nodded knowingly. The fatigue is really starting to get to you, huh? The book I have says you should really take it easy because your body knows what it needs."

Liv smiled sleepily. "You bought a pregnancy book?"

"Well," he laughed sheepishly, "it's been a while and I didn't want to be caught totally off-guard."

"That was a very concerned parent thing to do. Thank you."

"No need to thank me, Livy. We are in this together. Did you eat three balanced meals today?"

"Mmhmm. I did. I'm going to gain hundred pounds before this is all over. My gladiators have promised breakfast from now until the child is done nursing. And Jake took care of lunch and dinner today."

Everything Fitz was about to say flew right out of his head. "Jake?"

She yawned again and he could tell she was going down for the count. "Yeah, he fixed lunch when I went over to his place to visit today and he sent enough home with me for dinner."

Fitz turned beet red as his mind wandered back to the sex tape filmed in Jake's apartment.

"Fitz, it was just lunch. He was going stir crazy so I offered to break up the monotony of his day."

He hated that she sounded obligated to pacify his ego, but on some level he needed to hear those words from her. "Livy, it's okay. I trust you, and I'm glad he's looking out for you."

She breathed an inaudible sigh of relief. She was half asleep, otherwise she would have known not to say anything about Jake. "Anyway, I better get to bed before I fall asleep on the sofa, but before I forget, I wanted to say thank you."

"For what?" He still sounded a bit put out.

"For taking care of Jake's parent's prescriptions and the personal pilot. That was a nice touch."

"Yeah, well, despite how I feel, I owe him big time. But you go ahead and get some rest. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too Livy, more than anything."

"Me too. G'night."

* * *

**Hi gladiators, sorry this one is a little shorter than usual, but I was running and figured you'd rather have a little vs. nothing. So there it is. I have all sorts of ideas about Jake/Liv/Fitz, but I'm interested to know what road you think this little triangle is headed down. **

**(I'm cracking myself up by the way :-D ) Don't worry though, Olitz is still end game.**

**I'll try to make the next one longer, but I'll have to see if I can work around my schedule. Have a great week!**


	13. Chapter 13

**I love you all so much! Your responses to the last chapter had me ROFL. Anyway here's the next installment. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"What are you doing?" Fitz smiled into the receiver. He could hear Olivia crunching on something in the background.

"What does it sound like?" More crunching. "I'm feeding Jr. I swear I'm going to have to have my pilates instructor move in here with me after the baby is born. I'm going to weigh a ton."  
Fitz chuckled. "You look fine." In fact, he was appreciating her more ample curves. She never looked hotter in his opinion. It was a struggle just trying to keep his hands off of her when he saw her now. "You'd look fine at any weight. What are you doing tomorrow night? The kids have deemed Thursday as game night and want to do guys against the girls."

"Aww. I'm going to have to miss it, but I definitely want a rain check. What are you guys doing on Friday?"

Fitz hesitated, wondering whether she'd made time in her schedule for Jake tomorrow. "Uh, some movie is about to come out next week and the kids want to pre-screen it, so I'll be joining them for movie night. Are you busy on Friday too?" That last question sounded like pure petulance, and he knew it.

She knew it too, but chose to let it slide. "Nope, I'm all free on Friday night. I'll be there for movie night. I can even bring the popcorn if you want."

Fitz's earlier mood dissipated and he teased her. "What, and take popcorn away from you and Jr.? I wouldn't think of it. Just bring yourself on Friday. We'll provide the popcorn. Oh, sweetheart, my other phone is ringing and I've been expecting this call. I'll see you Friday, though, right?"

Liv nodded absently. "Absolutely." She was about to say her goodnight when she paused. "Fitz?"

"Yes, Livy? What is it?"

"I love you." She felt him smile.

"I love you too, Livy. More than anything. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He placed the receiver on the hook and shook his head. It was just a feeling, but he figured he'd better check it out. He answered the other phone and finished up quickly before calling Loren.

"Loren, can you get a hold of Tom for me please?"

"Sure, sir. No problem."

"Thank you, and you may as well go home after you reach him. There's nothing here that won't keep till morning."

""Yes sir, thank you."

* * *

James shut down his cell phone and looked around in awe as the four body bags were loaded into the waiting ambulances. _This cannot be happening,_ he thought to himself. He figured he'd come over and talk to the small group, get what he needed, and make it home before Ella's bedtime. He was sorely mistaken.

When Coleen told him what the black dahlia represented, James was astonished.

"It's a hold over from the old days," she'd said. "It means that you've been compromised and that either the agency will take you out, or you need to take yourself out, but come morning, you will be out of the game. The other three had nodded in sad agreement.

"You just know to always carry around a cyanide pill or two with you everywhere you go," one of the older gentlemen stated.

James couldn't believe what he was hearing. He couldn't believe it a few hours ago, and he couldn't believe it now; even as he watched the paramedics wheel the final covered body into the waiting bus.

"I need a drink."

* * *

"What are we up to now?" Harrison rubbed the sweat off his head and neck and replaced the cloth in his back pocket.

"Four, so far." Quinn threw her shovel in the corner of the yard she was closest to and drank a swig of water from the bottle near her feet.

Huck shook his head. So far they'd found the remains of four bodies and they were only half way through digging up the yard. "Come on guys. Let's call it a night. As a matter of fact, lets take tomorrow night off."

Harrison leaned his shovel against the fence post. "You sure you want to take a break?"

Huck nodded. "We've been wearing ourselves out and we're only half way done. The bodies aren't going anywhere so there's no use in killing ourselves, you know?"

Harrison and Quinn nodded.

"I'll pick up the pizza for Friday. We'll make it a party." Quinn grinned at the guys on the way in the house. "See you two in the morning."

* * *

"Tom can you find out from Ms. Pope's detail where she's headed tomorrow night?"

"No problem, sir. If they know, you'll know shortly. And you just want to know about tomorrow?"

"Yes, thank you."

Tom returned a few minutes later. "Sir, they weren't one hundred percent sure, but seem to think it will be either Senator Odom's office or Captain Ballard's apartment."

"Okay, thanks Tom."

"No problem, sir."

WHen Tom exited, Fitz put in a call to Jake's doctor leaving a message for him to call in the morning. It was late and he really didn't expect to reach the man now, but he wanted to put things in motion. When he finished with that he went and checked on the kids before heading to bed.

* * *

The next afternoon James cleared security and made his way to the oval office. Fitz had set up the little dining room off of the office with a nice little spread and two highchairs.

James plodded into the small room and placed Ella in a highchair next to Teddy. The two reached for other and began their babbling form of communication. That always brought a smile to Fitz's face and he turned to say something to James about it after he placed a kiss on Ella's head, but noticed the stricken look on James' face instead.

"Are you okay?" Fitz had to ask the question twice before James responded.

"What? Oh, yeah, fine. I just- I can't believe they're gone."

Fitz's laughter filled the room. "James, they're in Belize with a detail bigger than mine. They're not dead." He laughed again.

James shook his head. "Thanks to you and your quick planning. But they could have been dead. Rowan actually meant for them to kill themselves just for meeting with me. He had no idea what they were going to say, or even if they were going to give me the truth, but he actually expected them to die for it. I can't imagine what kind of hell those agents went through, or what kind of hell the current agents are living through. Now."

Fitz's mind wandered to Jake. He had an idea about what Rowan was putting the current agents through and it wasn't good. "Well," Fitz fixed two small plates and placed them in front of the toddlers. "The good news is, his actions spurred those agents into giving up everything they had on him."

"True." James nodded. He pulled a usb drive out of his pocket and handed it to Fitz. "Before I forget. It's an exact copy of the one they gave me last night. I figured you better have it, you know, in case anything happens."

Fitz took the drive and looked James in the eye. "James, if it's too much, just tell me. You got what we needed. You don't have to work on this anymore."

Determination shone through his eyes. "It's alright. I still want my interview."

"I'll still give you the interview James. It appears I underestimated exactly how calculating Mr. Rowan is, but it won't happen again. I just don't want to put you in any more danger."

James looked over at his daughter and smiled. "It's okay. I'd rather know I helped bring someone like him down than take the safe road. Just, promise me if anything happens to me, you'll take care of Ella? I don't trust Cy to stop working."

Fitz smiled sadly. When had life become so complicated? They were potentially talking about putting James' life on the line to catch a maniac.

"That's what I agreed to when I became her godfather. I'll adopt her myself if I have to, but James, you don't have to do this."

"I know, but I want to."

Fitz nodded. "Okay, let's finish up with lunch and I'll take a look at what's on the drive."

They did exactly that and then placed Ella and Teddy on a toy-filled blanket in the oval office. Fitz inserted the drive into his laptop and pulled up several hundred files while James looked over his shoulder. James pointed to the bottom two-thirds of the files on the drive.

"I didn't really know what to make of these files, likely because I don't have the security clearance to understand them. But these top files here," he moved his hand over the screen, "are damning enough on their own."

Fitz clicked on one of the higher files and studied it for a few moments before his brow furrowed. He could only look up at James in shock. He couldn't find words for the first few moments. "Oh my…"

James nodded. "I know. It gets worse. And I don't even want to know what you find in those lower files, Scratch that. I do want to know, but not any time soon. I need to recover."

Fitz ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. Drinking was no longer an option, especially with the kids back, but he needed to blow off some steam. He would definitely to take a trip to the fitness facility on the grounds or at least a short run. This was getting crazier by the minute. Fitz exhaled again and stood up. "Okay, I'll start working on this later. I have meetings through late afternoon, but I'll take care of it." Fitz pulled the drive out of his laptop and shoved it into his pocket. "Thanks James."

"No problem." He reached for his hand to shake it just as Cyrus walked in.

The look on Cy's face said everything his mouth didn't. "James? What are you doing here?"

James snatched his hand back and looked over at Cyrus with a smile. "Hi honey, I was just saying goodbye to the president. He asked me to bring Ella over so Teddy could get some playtime with someone his own age. Wasn't that thoughtful?"

Cy looked between the two men, not sure if he believed their story. He looked for a moment longer before shrugging. He walked over to Ella and picked her up to give her a quick kiss and ruffle Teddy's hair. Cy turned back to Fitz. "Sir, you have about twenty minutes to get ready for the meeting with the prime minister."

Fitz nodded and smiled easily. "That's what I was just telling James, Cy, but thanks for reminding me. I'll meet you in the conference room in a few? I just need to call Teddy's nanny."

"Yeah, sure. No problem." Cy looked between the two men once more before turning to leave. When he cleared the outer office Fitz turned to James, but James held up his hand to stop whatever Fitz was about to say. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

* * *

Olivia looked down at her watch on her way out of Senator Odom's office. It had been a very long day and she was looking forward to relaxing. She jumped into her SUV and pulled out into traffic. She didn't know what Jake had planned for dinner, but it didn't matter. Jr. was hungry and that meant she was hungry. Twenty minutes later she pulled up in front of Jake's apartment building and patted her stomach. "Don't worry little one. I'm about to feed you."

She waited a moment for her detail to find parking then headed to the elevator with them in tow. She was checking messages on her phone when she stepped off the elevator and walked around the corner to Jake's door, but she caught some movement through her peripheral vision that gave her pause. Liv stopped abruptly when she noticed not two sets of legs standing outside Jake's door, but four. She looked up slowly to see a smiling face and three blank faces.

"Tom. Hal. What are you doing here?"

Tom kept his cryptic smile in place and rapped on the door twice. "Ms. Pope, you can go on in. They're expecting you."

"**They** are expecting me? Okay…"

She stepped inside to see Fitz comfortably spread out on the sofa and Jake standing behind the kitchen counter. She closed the door behind her and took a few more steps.

"Hello sweetheart. Jake and I were just finishing up some business."

Her eyebrows drew together slightly and she turned to Jake who had a look of resolve on his face, mixed with a tiny bit of regret.

"Dinner's ready for you Olivia. I already set your place at the table. You just need to grab your plate and fix it." Jake glanced over at Fitz. "And I guess I need to go pack." He looked back at Olivia with a rueful smile and shook his head.

Olivia set her purse down at the table and picked up her plate. She walked over to the kitchen silently and opened the pots Jake had left out on the stove. Rice pilaf and asparagus, along with chicken smothered in mushroom gravy met her and she couldn't help but smile. She made her way back to the table and sat quietly before digging in.

"So you're not speaking to me?" Fitz wanted to know.

She took the first bite and chewed it thoughtfully before looking at him. "What did you do?"

Fitz got up from the sofa and joined her at the small table. "I need him in the field."

She shook her head slowly. "Fitz he almost died, and you're sending him back out there not even fully recovered?"

He huffed out a frustrated puff of air. "Livy I checked with his doctor, and he's cleared for light duty. The fact is he's the best, and right now I need the best in order to figure out who is leaking this information about our CIA operatives. He'll still keep his detail and your father won't have any access to him. Jake will be fine."

She ate in silence for another minute before she looked him directly in the eye. 'Is that the only reason you're sending him away?"

"Livy…"

"Just answer the question Fitz." Her voice was deadly calm.

"No." He rubbed his eyes to try to wipe away some of the tiredness. "It's not the only reason. Olivia, I need to establish a foundation with you. Now that Mellie is out of the way and your father is on his way out…"

"What?"

He shook his head. "Never mind. The point is, now that path is clear for us on my end, I don't need you spending time with and falling for another man; not when we're so close to getting what we've been fighting for."

She didn't blink. She didn't move. She didn't let on how close he was to the truth. She had actually been falling for Jake, again, but she would never tell Fitz that. She simply nodded. "I see."

"Are you angry with me?"

She made him wait while she finished the food on her plate. In all honesty, she didn't know what to feel or think. This was a new Fitz she was dealing with, and she didn't know whether to be irate or impressed. This was new territory. She was embarking on a journey with a man she was just now realizing that she didn't know completely. She thought she knew everything about him, but he was now doing things that she never would have ascribed to the old Fitz.

She swallowed her last bite and looked up at him. "No. I'm not angry. I'm surprised, a little perplexed, but not angry. You're like a completely different guy from the guy I knew a couple of years ago. You're a new Fitz."

He smiled slowly. "I'm a determined Fitz, and you should get used to him. You're going to be seeing him a lot from now on." He stood and reached over the small table to place a kiss on her forehead. "We should probably get going. Jake's parents will be here soon to spend the weekend with him."

She laughed lightly. "You thought of everything I guess. Alright, let me go say goodbye."

"So does this mean you're available for game night?'

She laughed again. "Yes. I can come over for a while."

"Good." He stood and walked around to her side of the table and pulled her up into a hug before kissing her senseless. "I'll head over and get things set up with the kids. It won't be too long because they need to be in bed soon."

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll be there shortly."

He walked to the door and called out, "Jake, I'm leaving."

There was a brief pause before Jake answered back. "Goodbye, sir."

When Fitz shut the door, Olivia walked into Jake's bedroom and leaned back against the wall.

"How are you doing with all this?"

Jake turned around from his closet and eyed her pensively. "I'm a soldier. It's what I signed up for. I just didn't know it was going to be like… this." He shook his head. "He really loves you, you know?"

She nodded. "I know. Jake I'm sorry that you got caught up in the middle of all of this."

He eyed her again. "I'm not." He didn't say anything else so she walked over and wrapped her arms around him. He encircled her also.

"Take care of yourself. And tell mom and dad 'hi' when they get here. Make apologies for me for not staying?"

He nodded and unwrapped his arms from around her waist.

Olivia walked to the door with her head down. She turned when he cleared his throat.

"Liv?"

"Yeah?"

"Bye."

"Goodbye, Jake."

* * *

**Alright gladiators, there you have it. Let me know what you think. Also, excited because our true gladiators went back to work today. Only 73 more days before we get to see the S3 premiere. We can do 73 days right? Lol.**

**Have a great week!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello fellow gladiators! – I think we're down to 66 days now until the S3 premiere. We can do this! Also, thank you all so much for the reviews/favorites/follows. I loved all of your responses. And just FYI, no one said Jake was disappearing for good. **

**Carry on. ;-)**

* * *

James looked back and forth between the sheets of paper and the computer screen just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He was in his home office working away while the nanny played with Ella. Cyrus was working at the white house and that was a good thing based on what he was seeing here. James didn't think he could stomach the sight of Cyrus right now. Based on the records in front of him Rowan was involved with several illegal enterprises, not the least of which was drug and human trafficking.

The problem was, these records in front of him implicated Cyrus in a very negative way. It looked as though Cyrus had helped Rowan set up some of these trafficking operations. James almost couldn't believe it, but then he suspected his husband was pretty much capable of anything.

"What am I going to do? I am in love with a literal monster… But I draw the line here; all those helpless people, including children being forced into sex slavery. I won't condone that. I can't."

James swiped at the tears falling down his face. He would just have to leave. He saw no other option. It was too late to get everything done that he wanted to do today, but he could be out of the house by the end of the week. He would just find a little two-bedroom apartment for he and Ella and he would just leave.

"I can do this."

He started to rise from his chair when the thought occurred to him that he should let the president know what was going on. Another thought popped in a second later. "Cy's going to be fired and thrown under the jail for this – Well, good! That's more than he deserves."

James stood and closed his laptop. He'd almost missed it. The telltale sign that Cyrus was involved was hidden so well, but his eyes kept going back to a peculiar set of numbers on the page. He finally realized why they looked familiar. James only had to pull out some personal records to see that the numbers were Cyrus's social security number, birth date, and house number. That was how he broke the code. Everyone that Rowan was involved with had been labeled with the same system. He walked out of the room needing to do anything except stare at those vile numbers another minute. He would contact the president later today.

* * *

"What are you up to?" David's voice was filled with malice and Abby picked up every revolting nuance clearly.

She sighed out of impatience. "David, I'm working. What are you talking about?"

"You know very well what I'm talking about. I get a box with some nonsense files and a label from OPA. You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"Uh, no. Sorry." Abby's voice turned to sugary sweetness. "I would transfer you to the owner of this fine establishment, but she is out for the week working on another case. So I'll just leave the message that you called. Thank you!"

She slammed the phone down so hard that David had to pull his ear away from the phone's receiver. Quinn walked into Abby's office smiling "Guess what?" She had started the question but stopped when she witnessed the phone abuse. "What's going on with you?"

"Ugh! David Rosen is a bug that needs to squashed. He just called me up and accused me of leaving some cryptic package at his office."

Quinn's eyes doubled in size. "Excuse me for a minute." She rushed out of Abby's office like she was on fire.

Abby hollered after her. "But what did you want?"

"I found some adorable baby stuff for little Pope, but I'll show you the catalog in a bit." Quinn rushed into her own office and shut the door closed before picking up her office phone.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Fitz spoke softly into the phone.

Liv smiled. It was crazy how his voice still gave her the goose bumps after all these years. "I'm headed over to Senator Odom's office."

Concern immediately filled his voice. "Should you be driving? You know how crazy late afternoon traffic is in the downtown area."

She laughed lightly. "Fitz, I'm pregnant, not driving-impaired, besides your guys were nice enough to drive so I could eat something. This baby is always hungry."

Fitz leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "Don't worry, Jr. takes after me in that aspect. "High Metabolism."

She rubbed her stomach and smiled. "Oh, is that what it is, then maybe the baby can help me burn off some of these calories I'm taking in."

"I already told you, you look great. And if you need your detail to drive you everywhere from now on, I can just tell them to…"

"Don't even think about it. I'm fine thank you."

"Okay, I just want to make sure you're safe."

"I'm fine, really."

"Okay. Can we expect you for dinner?"

"Mmm, probably not. I think I'm going to be with Senator Odom for the better part of the night trying to get his …issue straightened out."

Fitz knew he was getting spoiled. She'd been spending the last couple of weeks with he and the kids for dinner, and games on Thursday. He couldn't believe how quickly everyone had settled in, especially Liv; and kids were starting to go to her more and more with questions like she was their actual mother. Even Teddy vacillated between 'Biv" and "Ma" when he was calling for her. "Okay, is that why you're eating early?"

"Yes, but I'm sure I'll get another meal in before bedtime."

"Okay good. Well be careful. I'll probably be in the situation room until late too, so If I don't talk to you tonight, I'll give you a call in the morning."

"Okay, kiss the kids for me."

"I will. I love you."

Liv almost returned the sentiment, but then she looked up at the men in the front seat. She wasn't sure what they knew. She didn't know whether they had realized the truth or still thought of her as Jake's fiancée, but she wasn't going to spell it out for them. Subpoenas were tricky things and if her detail ever got summoned into a court of law, she wanted them to have the freedom to deny any accusations brought against her and Fitz. "Me too. Talk to you later."

Fitz hung up with Liv and called Tom. "Tom, can you make sure Liv's detail picks up some dinner for her when they pick up theirs tonight, but tell them to hold it for her until she goes home. She's going to be working later tonight."

Tom's voice came through loud and clear. "No problem, sir. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, Tom."

* * *

Fitz hung up one line just as Loren buzzed him on another. "Sir? Mr. Novak is here to see you."

"Thank you, Loren. You can send him in, but have him leave his cell phone out there with you."

Fitz wouldn't put it past Cyrus to use Thorngate on his own husband, especially after the look Cy gave both he and James the last time he caught them in a meeting he'd known nothing about.

James entered the oval office a moment later looking glum.

Fitz looked up, surprised. "What's wrong with you? You look like a peanuts character."

One corner of James' mouth lifted in a wry smirk. "Well, that's appropriate because I feel like Charlie Brown after Lucy has pulled the ball out from under him – again."

"What happened?" Fitz was genuinely curious now.

"I was playing around with the files on thumb drive regarding Rowan and ran across something. He had a funky looking code throughout the document, but I was able to break it and figure out where he was trafficking and on what dates."

Fitz stood up and walked around the desk. "Okay, that's great."

"Yeah, being a geek helped, but," James held his hand up to stop the congratulatory remarks he knew Fitz was about to bestow. "I happened to catch sight of another string of numbers. Turns out they identify my husband as Rowan's accomplice."

"What?" Fitz's face drained of color then flushed bright red. "That's not possible. Cy is a lot of things but I don't see him knowingly getting mixed up in human trafficking."

James could only shrug. "Look for yourself. Do you have your thumb drive?"

Fitz pulled it out of his pocket and moved over toward his laptop. He'd taken to carrying the small drive around with him everywhere he went. Once the computer booted up and the drive was inserted, Fitz opened the files. With James standing over his shoulder and giving direction, he found the same set of numbers that James had located earlier.

Fitz read and reread the numbers several times. "This doesn't make sense."

James nodded. I thought the same thing, but it's there in black and white."

Fitz shook his head. He wouldn't believe that of Cyrus. "James, have a seat, give me a few minutes to look at this."

"Sure," James said resignedly. "Take your time."

Twenty minutes later Fitz leaned back and ran a hand down his face. James noticed the movement.

"See, just like I said."

Fitz shook his head, harder this time. "James, Cy isn't involved in any trafficking scheme."

James jumped up and came to stand behind Fitz. He bent over to get a closer look at the laptop screen. "What? How do you know?"

Fitz pointed at the screen. "Because that string of numbers there, that's me. And I know for certain that I am not involved in any of Rowan's schemes."

James stood to his full height, but Fitz continued. "Those numbers there, that's Sally Langston. And while Sally is also a lot of things, I know for a fact that she's been doing everything she possibly can to end human trafficking."

James massaged the back of his neck trying to ease the tension forming there. "Wow. He's good."

Fitz rubbed his eyes. "Rowan's brilliant, in a psychotic sort of way. He's linked high level government officials to his crimes, because he knew it would motivate us to continue covering for him if anyone ever found out." He scrolled down the page further. "See that string of numbers there? That's the president that held office before me."

"But can't you just tear down his whole façade now that you know the truth?"

Fitz closed his eyes. "If only it were that easy. All of this evidence would have to come before several congressional committees and they will likely do what you just did, just as Rowan intended. Most of them would assume that we were all guilty. We all look guilty. And you know how this town works. It would take them a year and a half to get the committees together and come to any sort of conclusion. By the time we cleared all the red tape, my term would be over and a new president would have been voted in. There is likely someone waiting in the wings ready to take Rowan's place, so the new president would only fall into the same trap. If Rowan goes down, we all go down."

"Well," James walked back to his chair. "I guess I can cancel the apartment viewings I set up for tomorrow. The one good thing about all of this is finding out that Cy isn't as bad as I thought."

"Maybe," Fitz smirked. "But that leaves us back at square one. I don't know how to take this guy down without destroying our government in the process."

James could only shrug. "I'm going to go hug my baby until she falls asleep and remind myself that there's still some good left in this world."

Fitz gave a half smile. "Have a good night." He wanted to do the same thing, but as it stood now, He wouldn't be sleeping for the next few months. He sighed and pulled the thumb drive out of his laptop before shutting it down. The least he could do was have dinner with the kids.

* * *

David tilted his head back to stretch the muscles in his neck. He picked up the phone and dialed Quinn. "Quinn, it's David. I got your message and was finally able to look through the files."

Quinn smiled to herself. "Okay, good. After Abby said what she did earlier, I figured you had missed the note taped to the inside of the top of the box. And remember, Olivia doesn't know anything about this, but we should be getting back to you soon; a week at the latest."

"That's fine, but answer me this. How does trouble find you all so easily?"

Quinn grinned. "Oh, we go looking for it."

"Figures. Hey can you pass my apologies on to Abby?"

"Uh, yeah. No. I'm not stepping into the middle of that minefield, but if you really want to apologize, you should show up at her door tonight with dinner."

David grunted with an amused expression plastered on his face. "Yeah, that's so not going to happen."

Out of habit, Quinn raised her shoulders in nonchalance. "Suit yourself. You can run into Hurricane Abby later, if you'd like. Bye." She hung up and headed for home.

David hung up and stared at the phone. He inhaled deeply before chastising himself silently. He just knew he was going to regret this at some point. "Alissa!"

"What?" His harried assistant answered from the other room.

"Who has the best Italian take-out in the area?"

**Alright, good gladiators, that's it for now. I know it was less Olitz time and more plotting in this chapter, but we have to move the story along. We only have 66 days left after all. ;-)**

**Have a great week!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey Gladiators! Things are getting hectic, but I'm trying to keep up with the weekly updates. Thank you again, to all those who leave comments every week. It keeps me motivated. Finally, have you all seen the teasers that Shonda and the cast released about Season 3 this week? Sounds like ep. 301 is going to be just WOW. If you haven't seen it yet, here's the link you can copy and paste for later: **

** /14YygdW**

**Anyway, here's the next installment. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"What are we doing?" David watched Abby roll out of bed and pad toward the bathroom. She stopped to turn and look at him.

"I'm getting ready for work and you should get dressed. You have just enough time to get home, shower and change and make it into your high powered job on time."

"Abby! You know what I mean."

She huffed out a breath and walked back to stand in front of him. "I do know what you mean, but you've already told me that a relationship is virtually impossible because you don't trust me. So- right now we are having really good sex, and that's all we're doing." She walked back to the bathroom and shut the door behind her.

"Just really good," he called out. "Not great?"

* * *

"Are you going on a trip?"

James turned around on the bed to face Cyrus. "What?"

"I noticed you had pulled out a suitcase yesterday evening and then left before getting back late last night. I just assumed you had a work trip scheduled."

"Oh, that." James waved away the idea as if he were swatting at a fly. "It fell through. There's enough going on around town to keep me here."

Cy nodded before swinging his legs to the floor. "That's good. Hey, I saw in the Post that a little kid's theatre is going to be in town on Saturday and maybe we'd want to take Ella."

James couldn't believe it. "You're coming with us?"

"Of course. She's getting older. We need to start exposing her to more cultural events."

"Okay, sounds good." James didn't mean to hesitate with his answer, but he was constantly being surprised by this man.

"Good. It's a date then. We'll make a day of it and go out to eat afterwards."

Cy stood and stretched his back before heading for the bathroom.

James watched him with his mouth open. "Why do I get the feeling he's up to something?"

* * *

"I want to see you tonight."

Liv sat up slowly and leaned back against the headboard. She rubbed her stomach before answering.

"You just saw me two days ago, besides, I think I'm just going to turn in early tonight." She yawned, trying to wake up for the day.

"Why?" He stopped putting his shoes on to focus on the conversation. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just feeling like a night in."

"Liv, if something is wrong you should take the day off and go to the doctor."

"Fitz, I'm fine, but Jr. is getting bigger and requiring more of my energy. I'm just tired, that's all. And tired is perfectly normal for a woman in my condition."

"Well, as long as you're sure."

"I'm positive." She stopped herself from laughing out loud at his pouty voice. If he was protective before he learned of the pregnancy, he was amped up times ten after learning he would be a father again.

"I still think you're working too hard. How much help does Odom need anyway?"

She laughed lightly. "I'll be finishing up with Senator Odom today, but trust me, there's enough to keep me busy until this child graduates from college."

She heard a commotion outside her door right then and tried to get Fitz off the phone.

"Um, I need to go."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I don't know, but I need to go see who's at my door." She hung up the phone before Fitz could ask any more questions and raced to the door.

When she swung the door open Huck was about to get into an altercation with the agents assigned to her.

"What's going on here?"

David, one member of her detail turned to fce her. "I'm sorry Ms. Pope. This gentleman was trying to get in to see you."

"Guys, this is Huck. I'm sure you recognize him from my office. He and the rest of my co-workers have full access to me at all times."

"Ah, yes, ma'am. We apologize. We didn't know."

"It's okay. Huck, is everything alright?"

He took a deep breath to rid himself of the anger the agents had stirred up. "I'm driving with you into work today."

The look on his face said a lot more than his words.

"Okay." She tried not to sound alarmed. "Alright. Come on inside and wait for me while I get ready."

Fitz nearly broke his neck trying to get down to where Tom was.

"Tom get Olivia's agents on the phone now!"

"Yes sir."

Tom made quick work of the request and had his answer a few moments later.

"Sir it appears that one of her co-workers insisted on riding in with her this morning."

"Was it Huck?"

"Yes, sir."

"Find out what's going on. He watches over her like a guard dog, so if he insisted, something's going on. Find out what it is."

"Yes, sir. I'll take care of it."

* * *

"What?" Olivia barely whispered the question as the full reality of Huck's words set in.

"We found nine bodies buried in the back yard of your old house. The good news is the guy you thought you killed, you didn't. Your father finished him off for you."

"But – he could have been saved?"

"Yes. He was alive when the torture started."

"Torture?" Another whisper.

"Yes. I could tell because if he were alive, the effect on the bones would have…"

Olivia tried to take deep breaths while Huck spoke but the nausea finally overpowered her. She threw her hand over her mouth and ran back toward her bathroom, barely making it in time.

Huck followed her and offered her a tissue when she was done. "Sorry, I keep forgetting about your pregnancy."

Olivia rinsed her mouth and brushed her teeth again while Huck waited in the doorway.

"It's okay. I want to hear everything."

"Are you sure you can take…"

"Huck, please." The last word was a desperate attempt to put some unanswered questions to rest. The man she thought she had killed was a young police officer, a crime punishable by death in the District of Columbia. She was a senior in high school and thought she would enjoy herself just once before she left for college. She brought the young man home after the date, because everything seemed to be going well. She only realized too late that he had spiked her drink with something, intending to get lucky that night. When he tried to force himself on her, she'd fought him off the best she could. She even managed to land a blow to his head with a nearby lamp, but she passed out shortly after. The amount of drug he used was too much for her petite frame.

She relayed the story to Huck who nodded with comprehension.

"Your father must've come in and took him when he saw you both passed out."

"But… He woke me up. He made me help him bury the body in the back yard a little while later."

Huck shook his head. "I don't know what he told you, but the amount of torture marks on that body took more than a little while to create. You were probably out for quite a while. It looks like he took time with that body. I actually saw what looked to be like precursors to techniques we're still using today." He let that sink in before continuing. "What do you know about your father's rise to the top of B613?"

"Nothing." Olivia looked away. "We barely talked before that happened, but after that incident I only spoke to him when I had to. I tried to put it out of my mind."

Huck took a deep breath. He knew this wouldn't be easy for her. "Your father rose through the ranks quickly. He liked torturing and killing people and he was very good at it. He basically rewrote the book for B613. He's a legend in the spy community. When the department started using the techniques he suggested, we started getting the answers that we needed almost one hundred percent of the time. His methods became the gold standard for torture in our community."

"But you said there were nine bodies buried in that yard?"

"Yes. I called in a favor with an FBI agent I know and he was able to get the bodies into a lab for DNA testing. I figured that most of them were work related, but I was wrong."

Olivia threw her hand over her mouth once more. When the feeling passed she looked at Huck. "They weren't." It was more of a statement than a question.

"No. About three were but the rest were not. But he used all of the bodies to perfect his techniques for work. We have a match on most of them now. Some were for work and some he just grabbed off the street."

"Okay." It took a moment but she reached the point where she thought she would at least be able to make it through the day without any more trips to the bathroom. Olivia took another deep breath and stood to get her balance.

"There's more."

She stopped to look down at Huck. He was sitting on her bed in the same spot he'd been since she brushed her teeth. "Do I want to hear this?"

"You tell me."

It took almost a full minute for her to decide. When she did, she eased herself down on the edge of the bed. She was so tired.

"Three of the bodies in the yard were women. Two of them looked like you."

Olivia's eyes filled with tears. "You mean my mother. They looked like my mother and they lost their lives for it. He was still trying to punish her for her indiscretions, but she went and died before he got the chance to see her really suffer."

"Yeah, anyway, I didn't want to take any chances with him now. That's why I'm riding in with you. I'm hoping he's still in the dark, but, you know..."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I know."

* * *

Fitz pulled out the thumb drive containing all of Rowan's files and just stared at it. It was late, almost dinner time and he would have to go eat with the kids soon, but this one thing was standing in the way of Liv being with him – with them as a family, and he couldn't let it go. He needed a way to bring this man down, but as far as he could tell, Rowan had locked himself into a pretty impenetrable fortress. The only way through that fortress was to take down the government as he knew it.

It was sad to say it, but Fitz knew how the government worked behind the scenes. The U.S. government kept tabs on what criminals and criminal activity they could and let them slide when necessary; or even helped some of the criminals if it meant that they would get help in return. He wouldn't be able to use the fact that Rowan had knowingly participated in illegal activities because congress wouldn't care.

Especially when an article had just come out in a national newspaper about how many crimes the FBI had let their informants get away with. No one batted an eye when the information was released.

"I need something more."

He glanced at the clock again. Almost six. He would have to scarf down dinner with the kids and then get back to the situation room. The mole was still a problem, but he needed to check on Liv first. He dialed Tom and had him on the phone soon after.

"Tom?"

"Yes sir."

"Were you able to find out any more information?"

"Only that when Ms. Pope and Huck left for work, she didn't look well."

Fitz sat straight up. "What? What does that mean? She didn't look well."

Tom honestly wasn't sure. "All the agents said was that she looked as if she'd been crying and looked like she probably should have stayed in bed. Of course she didn't."

Fitz blew out a breath. He almost told the agents to make sure they kept her home this morning, even though he knew he'd have hell to pay if he'd actually done it. "Tom…"

"Sir, I'm already on it. I wasn't able to leave the white house while I was still on the clock, but I'm off now and headed over to Ms. Pope's office where her agents reported that she and Huck still are."

Fitz stopped the outburst he was about to unleash. "Geesh, Tom. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were off tonight. You don't have to…"

"Sir, it's okay. I wanted to make sure she was okay too. I'll be there in a couple of minutes and I'll give you a call when I find out something."

"Thank you Tom."

"You're welcome sir. We'll talk soon."

When the line disconnected Fitz picked up the phone again. "Secure line please."

A moment later he heard Liv's voice.

"What?"

"Liv, are you okay?"

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a moment. The information that Huck gave her this morning almost overwhelmed her. She'd been in a catatonic state for most of the morning, but she was better now.

"Livy?"

"I'm okay. It's just been a long day."

"I heard."

"Of course you did."

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, but I was worried about you. How are you?"

She softened with his admission. "I'm okay, just a little tired."

"Maybe you can tell me about your day next time we see each other." He left it as an open-ended question but when she didn't say anything he grew angry. "Or not."

"No." She sucked in some air. If she was going to be in a relationship with him, she would have to make some adjustments in her life; and she may as well start now. "No, I'll tell you the next time we see each other."

"Okay." He sounded pleasantly surprised. "Do you need anything?"

She laughed lightly. "A bed and a fluffy pillow would be nice."

He smiled. She sounded so tired, and he wanted nothing more than to have her brought to the white house so he could comfort her. But that was impossible tonight.

"Alright. Livy, promise me that you'll let your guys know if you need anything. Okay?"

"I promise. And Fitz?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"Thank you for being you."

He laughed. "I know you're tired of me, but it is my pleasure. Are you going to be there much longer?"

"No. I'm about to fall over so I'll be leaving here in the next 15 minutes or so."

"Okay, get some rest. I'll call you tomorrow. And Livy? I love you."

Her mouth involuntarily lifted at the corners. "I love you too. Kiss the kids. Goodnight."

"Goodnight sweetheart."

His phone rung seconds after he placed it in the cradle.

It was his secretary Loren. "Sir, Tom is on the line."

"Thank you Loren."

"Tom, what did you find out?"

"Sir, I have Huck here and he wants to speak with you."

"Okay." Fitz heard a little shuffling before some dead air. "Huck, are you there?"

"Uh, yeah. I'd like to call in that favor now."

"Okay?..."

* * *

**I bet Fitz is wondering if he should have written that blank check to Huck a few chapters back. Lol. Alright Gladiators, so that's it until next time. Again thank you for all the favorites and follows. I appreciate you all so much. And I think we're down to 58 days until the premiere. WhooHoo!**

**Have a great week!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello Gladiators, did those of you in the U.S. catch the Scandal Marathon on BET this past Saturday? That was a lot of gladiating for one day. Don't worry, if you missed it, I believe they're continuing on next Saturday, 8/17. Anywho, here's the latest installment. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"Okay." Fitz leaned back in his chair as Huck finished speaking. His free hand automatically went to the bridge of his nose, trying to stay the pressure that was building. "I can do that, but I don't want Olivia anywhere near here tomorrow."

Huck agreed. "Alright, I can have Abby and Quinn get her out of the office all day."

"Okay, then. Forward me her itinerary when it's set, and I'll see you tomorrow. Put Tom back on the phone, please."

Huck handed Tom's cell phone back to him without a word.

"Yes, sir?"

"Tom, Olivia's going to be out of the office all day tomorrow, before you leave there, please make sure her detail keeps their eyes open while they're with her."

"Yes, sir. I'll take care of it."

"And Tom, thank you for taking care of this while you're off the clock. Have a good break."

"No problem sir. I'll see you in a few days."

* * *

The next morning, Olivia opened her front door feeling rested after a good night of sleep. She was more than a little surprised to see Quinn and Abby standing opposite her door.

"What's wrong?" She immediately looked to her left and right at the agents Fitz assigned to her. "I thought I told you two that everyone from my office gets full access…"

"Liv," Abby cut her off. "They were going to let us in, but we wanted to make sure that you were rested. We just decided to wait out here knowing that you'd be out soon."

"Oh. Sorry guys."

The agents nodded to her and spoke in unison. "No problem ma'am."

"Now," she turned back to Quinn and Abby, "What's going on?"

"We're going out for the day." Quinn spoke hesitantly, sure that Olivia would oppose the idea.

"Out where?"

Abby grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the elevator. "We'll show you when we get there."

"Is this for a new case? I didn't get a call last night…" She reached for her phone, hoping she hadn't forgotten to turn the ringer back on. She had been sleeping hard the last few weeks.

"It's not for a case. We are taking you away from this city for the day." Quinn spoke as she grabbed her other arm.

"What? No! There is too much work at the office and the guys would be swamped."

"The guys are the ones who suggested it," Quinn continued. "It's just that, lately, you've been looking a little…

"Haggard," Abby filled in. "Harrison, Stephen and Huck can handle everything for the day, but we are all concerned that you're not taking care of yourself and little Pope. The guys gave us strict orders not to return to the office today, but if something comes up that they can't handle, they said they have your cell number."

Olivia shook her head and wondered out loud as she was being pulled along, "What happened to my life? I used to be in charge."

"You got pregnant," Abby beamed at her as they stepped into the elevator.

* * *

"This is becoming a habit, being summoned to the oval office by request of the President. First it was Jake Ballard, whom I found for you. What is it now?" Rowan sauntered over to the light colored sofa and had a seat. He was used to patronizing others, but he held this particular man in extremely low regard. Rowan felt that speaking to Fitzgerald Grant like the scourge he was, was a right he alone had earned. In his opinion, this was not a real man standing before him. Fitzgerald Grant was a boy destined to remain that way, weak and cowardly with no real power.

Fitz noted the man's arrogance and wondered if that was one of the last things the nine people buried in his backyard noticed, not to mention the countless others he would have killed in the name of the government.

"Actually, I wanted to speak to you about some of your extra-curricular activities. Specifically, killing people."

Rowan threw his head back and roared. "Are you kidding me? You're kidding me right. You pay me to kill people. Everything I did, I did in service to this great country. I was recruited because I have a great mind and it was needed. This country is better because of me. I got secrets out of people that no one else could have gotten. You should be thanking me for everything I've done while working in B613 instead of whining about a few unnecessary lives."

"Wow," Fitz moved away from his desk to stand opposite the man. "And the trafficking operations you've not only participated in but started?"

Rowan snorted his amusement. "You have to get your hands dirty if you want to play with the big boys. If you were any kind of leader, you would know that. The only thing I did, was keep the door open to parties interested in working with this great government. We've gotten plenty of useful information from those sources; information we wouldn't have gotten otherwise."

Fitz nodded. He didn't have any doubt that Rowan spoke the truth just then. "You seem rather proud of yourself."

Rowan leaned back "Why shouldn't I be? B613 is what it is because I made it. This country is as great as it is, because I helped make it what it is. Yes, I'm proud! I have a lot to be proud of. Why shouldn't I be proud? I did the work my predecessors were afraid to do. You're the face of America, everyone knows that, but the real, power decisions are made behind the scenes by people like me. There is no America without me. This country owes me, big time."

Fitz didn't blink. He couldn't really because he was in shock. He had never seen a case of narcissistic disorder this far off the charts. And after being raised by Big Jerry, and spending as much time as he had in politics, that was saying something. It was a wonder Olivia had turned out as well as she had.

Fitz opened the bottom button on his jacket and propped a leg up on the sofa Rowan wasn't occupying.

"Well, you know what they about pride going before a fall or something like that, I'd have to get Sally in here to quote it verbatim. But no, this isn't about the people you killed in the name of the U.S. government, or even the drug and human trafficking you seem so eager to participate in. This is about David Miller, Greg Dawson, Jackson Gore, Mason Walker, Ava Robinson, and Madison Campbell." Fitz had taken the time to memorize those names like he would a presidential speech. He felt it was the least he could do to honor their memory.

There was a long pause and Fitz gave Rowan time to digest the names he'd just called off. "In case you don't remember, those are the six people you killed who had absolutely no connection to the U.S. government, at least the six that we know about. You stalked them like a common street thug and took their lives. I'm a little surprised though that someone as great as you would choose to bury nine bodies in his back yard without thinking that someone might want to dig that ground up at some point. But I guess you were thinking you had time. And ironically enough, the last two people on the list both bore a striking resemblance to your late wife, but I'm sure that was a matter of coincidence seeing how sharp your mind is."

Rowan ground his teeth together as Fitz spoke, his nerves grated by every syllable that came out of the president's mouth.

"Those women were whores, as was my ex-wife, as is my daughter."  
"Just stop." Fitz held his hand up already tired of the hate filled rhetoric. "You obviously have some issues you need to deal with, the first being a few murder trials. The District Attorney has already been notified, as has the chair of the congressional committee tasked with overseeing B613. You will be remanded over to the custody of B613 leadership until such time that you will stand trial for the murder of those six innocent people. Is there anything you feel you need to say before you're removed from this office?"

Rowan leaned back into the sofa, dumbfounded. This weakling had actually pulled one over on him.

"No?" Fitz was a little surprised, but walked over to his desk after receiving no words from Rowan. "Loren, you can send Mr. Rosen in now."

"Yes, sir."

David walked into the oval office followed by two officers of the white house police force. "Mr. Rowan, would you please stand up so this officer can place the handcuffs on you. You are under arrest for the murders of," David paused as he pulled out the index card with the list of names. "David Miller, Greg Dawson, Jackson Gore, Mason Walker, Ava Robinson, and Madison Campbell. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford an attorney, one will be provided for you…"

Fitz watched Rowan mentally check out as David read him his Miranda Rights. When David had finished, the officer that had placed the cuffs on him led him away.

The other officer shut the door of the office on their way out and Fitz blew out a huge breath as he took a seat behind his desk. He felt like he should do something to celebrate this momentous occasion, but at this time of day, his choices were limited. Eventually, he chose to go check on Teddy. The thought of Rowan calling Olivia a whore bothered him more than he cared to admit. It was what he'd essentially called her in the electrical closet. If he'd only known what she had to deal with growing up, he would have kept his mouth shut.

He walked out of his office telling Loren he'd be right back. What type of father treats his own child like trash? He walked into Teddy's nursery and noticed him playing with a set of blocks. Teddy's caretaker excued herself when she saw Fitz walk in.

"Hey buddy, what'cha got there?"

Teddy's happy babble caused Fitz to smile and forget his troubles for the moment. He picked his son up and kissed him. He thought he'd known at least a little of what Olivia had dealt with growing up, but seeing Rowan in rare form today had him rethinking that.

Fitz rubbed Teddy's back absentmindedly. "I can't imagine what she went through, and I hate myself for what I put her through after finding out about Defiance, but I can make it up to her, right bud?"

"Yah!" Teddy screamed out and Fitz chuckled, not realizing that the baby was actually paying attention to what he'd said.

"I sure can."

* * *

Fitz smiled as Olivia strolled toward him later that evening. She looked more relaxed than he'd seen her in a while.

"You look great. You're glowing."

She smiled as she tilted her head back when he got closer. "I feel great. A day at the spa will do wonders for a girl."

He wrapped his arms around her and inhaled, so thankful that she was in his life. "The spa, huh?"

Her lips stretched into a straight line as she stepped out of the embrace and cocked her head to the side. "Oh, don't even pretend like you didn't know."

He laughed lightly and pulled her hand as he strode along the corridor toward the residence. "I knew. Come with me while I change."

"Change into what?" She tightened her grip around his hand when he picked up speed.

"Some regular clothes. I'm taking a two and a half hour break so I can have dinner with you and the kids. We need to grab Teddy, but Karen and Gerry are going to meet us downstairs in ten minutes."

Fitz pulled her into the bedroom and she sat on the edge of the bed as he moved toward the closet.

"So tell me about your day," he called from the closet.

Liv paused and took a deep breath. "I need to tell you about two days. The day before this one was kind of hard."

Fitz stopped loosening his tie and popped his head out from around the closet to look at her directly. "I'm listening," he moved back into the closet a moment later but she knew he could still hear her. "I found out some information about my father yesterday and it kind of floored me."

Fitz walked over to the bed in jeans and a light blue polo shirt. He carried socks and shoes in his hand. "Sweetheart, if this is about the bodies found buried in the yard, I know all about it. Huck and I spoke yesterday."

The light of realization suddenly dawned on her. "That's why I was shipped off to the spa today." It wasn't a question.

"Yes. We wanted to make sure that you'd be safe when Rowan got here."

Her eyebrows spiked up. "He was here?"

Fitz nodded. "Was is the key word. He's been arrested for those murders and is awaiting trial." He moved closer to where she sat and pulled her onto his lap. "Livy, it worked out this time, but you holding onto that information, only hindered what I was able to do. I'd been looking for something on him that wasn't related to the government that I could use. I wish you'd have just told me when you found out."

She moved a few curls out of place. "Fitz, that works both ways. I didn't know you were looking for information on him because you didn't tell me."

He hung his head at the truth. "Touché."

"Mmhmm."

"But from now on we're going to be more open with each other, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, and in the spirit of that, I need to tell you something else, unless of course Huck already told you, but knowing him I doubt it."

He rubbed her arms soothingly. "What is it?"

"I thought I killed someone." She waited for him to say something but all she got was raised eyebrows. "One of the bodies in the yard was a guy I was dating. He slipped a date rape drug in my drink when I was a senior in high school, but I managed to fight him off by knocking him in the head with a lamp. My father found us both passed out. He woke me up later and told me that I'd killed him and made me help bury the body in the back yard." Tears rolled down her face as the memories flooded back into her mind. "Huck told me the other day that the guy was still alive when my father found us."

"Shhh." Fitz pulled her closer and held her until the tears subsided. "Livy, your father is a very sick and twisted individual, but we don't have to worry about him any more. I love you and I'm here for you. I just want you to trust me. Can you do that?"

She leaned into the crook of his neck and nodded. "I trust you Fitz."

"Thank you. Now let's go get Teddy and get downstairs."

"Yes, let's. I'm hungry again."

Fitz grinned. "I figured as much."

* * *

David walked into the nearly empty office and looked around. It was non descript and he wondered how any agency, much less a black ops section of the CIA operated in this sparsely furnished place. Seconds turned into minutes and he began to worry. Thankfully Huck appeared a moment later, in a suit no less.

The new attire wasn't lost on David. "Well hello Mr. Interim Director of the B613 agency."

Huck only offered a smirk and held his hand out. David handed over a stack of papers and a pen. "Sign on every dotted line and the prisoner is yours."

Huck nodded and moved toward a table. "You want to have a seat? This is going to take a few minutes."

David grabbed a chair and waited for Huck to finish. When he did, they both stood and David took the stack of papers from Huck. David spoke into what looked like wristwatch. "You can bring the prisoner up."

Huck almost smiled. "Looks like the equipment in your office got upgraded."

David smiled back. "Well, after spending time with you all, I could see where an upgrade was necessary." Two large men walked into the office holding onto Rowan.

Huck looked at the three men but voiced his question to David. "And those two have been with B613 for at least ten years?"

David nodded. "Just as you requested."

"Okay."

David looked between Huck and Rowan. "I'll leave you to it then."

Under Huck's direction, the two men escorted Rowan down to the basement of the building. Huck went before them unlocking a series of doors before coming to the final one. He turned the key and walked over to the panel on the floor and unlocked it.

"You can throw him in there." Huck pointed to the hole in the floor. The men did as they were asked and Huck walked over to look down into the hole.

Rowan looked up and squinted. "You think you're so smart don't you? I'm going to get out of here and kill you! I will kill you!"

Rowan ranted at the top of his lungs for more than ten minutes. Huck simply shook his head. And when Rowan had quieted down some, Huck knelt at the edge of the hole. "There's only one thing I need to know from you."

"What? You want to know where your family is? You want us to locate your son? Forget it. When I get out of here I will kill them both personally!"

Huck shook his head again. "That's not I want to know."

"Fine." Rowan's voice was growing weaker by the second but his arrogance was still firmly in place "What do you want to know? I'm probably not going to tell you, but what is it?"

Huck looked the man in the eye and took a steadying breath. "Do you have a daughter?"

When the tirade of expletives started again, Huck slammed the hatch down and locked it. He walked out of the room with his head held high, and for the first time in a long time, he actually smiled.

* * *

"Oh, that dinner was so good. The chef outdid himself again." Olivia rubbed her stomach as she, Fitz and the Grant children walked down the hall. Karen and Gerry were on either side of her talking animatedly while Fitz was unsuccessfully trying to keep Teddy from grabbing a fist full of Liv's hair.

"Biv!" Teddy demanded. "No bud, you're getting too big for her to walk around with you. We have to sit down first."

"Sit?"

"Yes," Fitz nodded at the toddler. "She can hold you when you're sitting."

They all turned the corner and then stopped short, as if on cue.

Mellie was standing there with what Fitz supposed was his schedule for the day. His first thought was to look at the kids and Olivia to see how this unexpected visit was affecting them. Gerry looked withdrawn, while Karen showed a myriad of emotions across her face. Teddy looked as if he were trying to recall where he knew this woman from and Olivia had gone back into fixer mode. He could almost see the suit of armor on her.

Mellie was the first to break the silence as her eyes zeroed in on Olivia's protruding belly. "Well, isn't this cozy."

"Mellie?" Fitz spoke slowly, like he was speaking to a rabid animal that had snuck into a closed campground. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came to visit, of course."

* * *

**Okay gladiators, that's it for this week. This last scene with Mellie popped into my head when I was writing the scene where Liv told Fitz she was pregnant and I could not stop laughing. Anyway, I'm done until next week. **

**Have a great week!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello Gladiators *waving* - Sorry for the delay. I was having a moment or three this week. Anyway, I think we're down to forty-something days left until the season 3 premiere. (YAY!) U.S. Gladiators, I think tonight is the night that BET shows the S2 finale. I probably won't watch because the last 5 mins. depressed me last time, lol. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. As always, thank you for the reviews and comments, favorites and follows. I 3 you all.**

* * *

"What do you want?"

Mellie eyed Olivia after an exasperating evening of homework and bedtime rituals where the children insisted that Olivia not only participate but take the lead. The kids had missed her over the last couple of days and it showed. Teddy barely let her go when they were finally able to take a seat, so both Gerry and Karen had to come join her on the sofa as she looked over their homework.

Fitz sat in the corner attempting to rein his temper in, but every time he looked in Mellie's direction, he wanted to get up and wipe that smirk off her face. When, eventually he had to leave and return to the situation room, Olivia insisted she would be fine alone with Mellie. He was about to have his wife escorted off the premises when Olivia intervened and told him that the confrontation with Mellie had been a long time coming and she may as well deal with it now.

"If I don't talk to her now, She'll only keep showing up to provoke us Fitz. Let me handle it now and get it over with."

"Fine, but Tom will be stationed outside the door in case she tries any of her craziness." They were walking out of Teddy's room after tucking him in. It took five minutes, but Fitz had finally managed to coax the little boy into giving Mellie a hug and kiss. When she didn't hand him over immediately after the forced PDA, he screamed bloody murder and would not be quieted by anyone but Olivia. Mellie had walked away frustrated, but Olivia knew she wouldn't leave until they had talked. When Olivia found her back in her old office, she closed the door behind her and prepared herself for battle.

Now Mellie stood, glaring at the woman who had taken everything from her.

"I asked you a question Olivia."

Liv nodded and took a seat. "You did, and I can give you my answer, but I think you'd do better to ask yourself the question."

Mellie stalked around the office to sit behind her old desk. Even if she no longer occupied the position physically, she was still the First Lady of this great country.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Olivia leaned back in her chair and rubbed her belly. "You know exactly what I mean, but since you want to be difficult, I'll go first. What I want is to be happy. For me, that includes love. I did not expect to find it with a married man, and so I want to take the time now to apologize for the way it happened, but I was hoping we would be able to move past that. That's my answer in a nutshell. My end game is happiness. So now we're back to my earlier comment. Have you asked yourself what you want? What makes you happy?"

Mellie ground her teeth together before snapping back at Olivia. "I was happy, until you came along. I had a decent marriage and a great family, but you swooped in and took all that from me. I was happy!"

Olivia studied her for a moment wondering if she'd actually blocked out past memories. "Mellie, when I met you and Fitz, you could barely stand to be in the same room together. We had to coach you two on how to act like a loving couple. You were having an affair and you seemed irritated anytime your own children approached you. If you call that a decent marriage and great family, I'm not sure what else to say to you. You won't tell yourself the truth, so I hardly expect you to tell me the truth."

"We were working on it."

Olivia sighed. "You worked on your marriage because you wanted to get into the white house. And honestly, that's the only thing I can say that you put your full effort into. Your husband was depressed. You shipped your kids off to boarding school the moment you got a whiff that Fitz may actually win the election; a school they hate by the way. The little fix we came up with to keep Fitz in the white house produced a child that you handed off to nannies when there wasn't a camera around. So Mellie, you may have been happy, but everyone else around you was miserable. So, for the last time, what do you want? Do you want love? Your husband doesn't love you, but from what he tells me, you are with a man who does love you. Do you want another man? Do you want power? If the answer is yes, a perfect plan has been laid out for you to make your way back to the white house with you taking the highest office in the land. Do you want both? Money has never been an issue for you, so really, what do you want?"

Mellie relaxed slightly. It appeared that Olivia was actually trying to help her. She was sharp enough to know that Olivia was also helping herself when she helped her, but she didn't hold that against her. The truth was, she didn't know what she wanted exactly.

"I'm not sure."

"You know what I think?"

"I'm not sure I want to know."

Liv ignored the response and kept talking. "I think that you enjoy discord."

When Mellie opened her mouth to protest, Olivia held her hand up to stop her. "Hear me out. I think that you were raised in a family where conflict was the prevailing atmosphere in the home and you miss it. I think Big Jerry recognized that little spark of discontent in you and that's why you two got along so well because he was the same way. But Fitz's mom was able to keep peace in the home while Big Jerry was out raising hell so Fitz will choose peace over discord every time. But you can't. You're not sure how to function without it. You think this is normal, and for you it probably is, but not for your husband. And now you need to ask yourself, is that the environment you want your kids to be raised in? Mellie, no one is knocking you for not wanting a family, but don't subject them to manufactured friction just because it makes you feel better.

"You're with a man that loves you, but you can't seem to get into the relationship, why? My guess is because the relationship is not driven by conflict, so you don't feel completely comfortable. How am I doing so far?"

When Mellie finally looked up, she had tears in her eyes. They hadn't spilled over, but she was close to bawling, and speaking was out of the question for the moment.

Olivia noted her reaction and continued. "I think your father had a greater impact on you than you're willing to admit, and trust me, I understand that more than you think, but you have a decision to make. You're marriage is ending. There's no way you and Fitz will reconcile, so you need to determine where you go from here. Do you want to stay with the man who apparently loves you for you, or do you want to trade him in for a different model, more like your father? Do you want peace or conflict in your home and in your life? If you choose peace, you're likely going to have to do some work on you. You can't handle that right now. If you choose conflict, just be aware that that sort of relationship may hinder your return to the white house. Your life, your decision, your choice."

Liv stood and stretched before looking down at Mellie. "I'm going to go say goodnight to Karen and Gerry before I head home." She walked toward the door and placed her hand on the knob before turning back. "Mellie, if you were my client I'd tell you to sit here for as long as you need to make up your mind, but once you make a decision, don't look back. Life is too short to keep building up regret. Take care of yourself."

Mellie heard the door close but the tears that had threatened to overflow for the last several moments finally released and clouded her from see much of anything.

Several hours later Fitz tore his tie away from his neck and stepped into his bedroom. He had planned to fall directly into the bed, but he could not.

"Mellie, what are you doing in here?"

"I just wanted to talk to you before I left. Don't worry. I can see that you're tired. It won't take long. I just wanted to let you know that I won't interfere with you and your new family, not anymore. Olivia and I had a good, long talk and she helped me realize some things. First and foremost is that I deserve to be happy. We all know I'm not up for any mother of the year awards, so I've spoken to Karen and Gerry and let them know that I won't be around. Of course I told them to call me if they needed anything, but between you and Olivia, I don't expect to hear from them. Anyway, I just wanted to say goodbye."

Fitz could hardly believe his ears. He just stood there gawking at her like some teenage boy on a first date. "Forgive my surprise, but does that mean no more fighting, or cajoling, or manipulating?"

She smiled sadly. "Yep, I'm done. And Fitz, I really am sorry for every bad thing I did to you, to all of you. I'll just get out here and leave you to get on with your lives. That's what I'll be doing too."

She started to turn and walk out of the room, but Fitz stopped her.

"Mellie?"

"Yes?"

"You're really serious this time, aren't you?"

"I am."

He walked over and wrapped his arms around her loosely. "Thank you. Thank you for three beautiful children and twenty years of marriage. And while they weren't the best twenty years, they were ours. We accomplished a lot in those twenty years."

She laughed lightly. "We did, didn't we?"

"Yes. Let me know if you need anything while you're running for office."

"She pulled out of the embrace slowly. "I'm not sure that I'm going to run for office."

"WHAT?" He looked down at her unable to form a complete sentence. "But, that's all you've ever wanted."

"I'm not sure it is, actually. I was thinking, I may just open up my own firm and try my hand at civil rights cases and women's issues. The world could always use another Gloria Allred, right?"

Fitz shook his head and smiled. "Right. You'd be a terror in the courtroom and your opponents would likely fold when they heard your name."

Mellie grinned at the compliment, one of the most sincere she'd heard from him in a long time. "Thanks. Take care of yourself Fitz and all the little Grants. I would tell you to take care of your future wife, but we both know she can take care of herself."  
He nodded in acknowledgement. "She can, but I won't let her. Goodbye Mellie."

"Bye."

Fitz laid across the bed and smiled for a moment before he started laughing. It was a laugh filled with hope and with freedom. Olivia was a certifiable genius. He didn't know what she'd said to Mellie, and wasn't sure he'd ever know, but whatever it was, it worked and he was grateful.

* * *

Three nights later Fitz sat with James as he finished up the interview about Rowan. Just as the dialogue was coming to a close, Fitz decided to drop a bomb on America. He knew Cyrus would have his head for it later, but he didn't care. He was free and he wanted the world to know.

"Thank you, Mr. President." James flipped his notepad closed. "It's good to know that Mr. Rowan is off the streets and will serve time for his crimes."

"You're welcome James. Also, I wanted to let you know that the First Lady and I have officially separated. She's moved away from the white house and we'll be filing for divorce shortly."

James could only stare, open-mouthed at Fitz and the camera. This was a scoop he was not expecting and it caught him completely off guard,

"So… So you and the first lady are no longer together?"

"That's right," Fitz nodded his affirmation. "We had a good, long talk the other night and while we will hold special places in each other's hearts, we just aren't in love anymore. We will focus on our kids moving forward."

James recovered quickly. "I see. May I ask, does this have anything to do with allegations of your cheating that the First Lady brought up a while back?"

Fitz flashed an enigmatic smile. "I won't answer that. I will say, however, that we are both happier apart. Thanks for doing this interview James. Now if you'll excuse me. I need to get back to work." Fitz stretched out his hand and James shook it on reflex.

"Oh, yes, of course." James turned back to the camera with the most professional face he could muster. "Well, there you have it America, revelations from the oval office."

* * *

"You know it's only going to be a matter of time before the paparazzi sniff out the story of Mellie and her new man."  
Fitz cuddled Olivia closer and breathed in her scent. "Mmhmm. I know."

She tilted her head back to get a good look at him and laughed when she noted the smug expression on his face. "Actually, that's not a bad thing. She'll come across as a strong woman who wouldn't put up with her philandering husband and rode off into the sunset to find her own happiness. She'll be able to use that springboard to jump into whatever she chooses next."

"That's nice," he mumbled into her neck as he placed soft kisses there. "What did you say to her anyway? She was like a new woman when I saw her that night after you two spoke."

Olivia shrugged. "Well to paraphrase, I just told her that she should start making some decisions that would lead to her happiness."

Fitz moved up to her lips. "She wants to be the next Gloria Allred."

Liv grinned and laughed. "She would be brilliant. I would pay money to see that."

"You and a lot of other people, I suspect. That's really good advice; making decisions to lead to your own happiness…"

Olivia stopped to look up at him when he didn't continue. Something in his voice sounded so final. "Fitz are you thinking about not running for the next term?"

He didn't answer for a moment but placed another kiss on her lips. "I'm thinking about a lot of things."

"Like what?'

He sighed as he straightened himself up against the back of her sofa and pulled her along with him.

"I'm thinking I could do a lot of good with four more years in office. I'm also thinking that I don't want to miss the next four years of my child's life. I'm also thinking that I don't think I want to leave the country in the hands of Sally and her cohorts. I think about a lot of things, especially lately."

"Fitz…"

"No, just listen. I haven't made any final decisions yet. I'm only thinking about the future, but when you weigh four years in office versus four years of your child's life in the balance, one clearly takes precedence; in my mind anyway."

Olivia didn't dare breathe. She wanted Fitz to run the country for four more years, she did. But she also wanted to raise their child together before he or she reached the age of five. With a little difficulty she managed to turn herself until they were face to face. She grabbed his face with both hands and looked into his soul. "I want you to make the best decision for you. I want you to be happy. You will make the right choice and I'm here with you whichever way you decide to go. Just be happy."

* * *

**There you have it Gladiators. Fitz has some serious decisions to make. Wonder what he'll pick? Until next time… Have a good rest of your week!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey there, sorry for the delay, but here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"No, you may not."

Fitz turned his chair away from the window and toward his chief of staff who had just entered the room. Cyrus placed the daily briefing on Fitz's desk and took a seat on the sofa without making a sound. Fitz's left eyebrow rose slightly as he waited for Cyrus to say something else, but Cyrus was unusually silent.

"No, I may not, what?" Fitz finally asked.

"No you may not arrange the death of Captain Jake Ballard so that you have a clear path to Olivia and the baby; especially since you are the reason the world now thinks that he is happily engaged to the love of your life and father to be to your child."

The corner of Fitz's mouth lifted in a smirk. "You do know me well," Fitz smiled. "But, I was actually thinking about the mole."

"What about the mole?" Cyrus wanted to know.

"All of the leaks started around the time I took office."  
"Right," Cyrus agreed. That's why no one was too surprised when Billy Chambers turned out to be the one."  
"Yes, but even back then, we were looking outside the administration, in the wrong place. I need to call Jake."

"You think the partner of Billy Chamber's is still inside this administration?"

"It makes sense. It looks like we brought more to D.C. with us than big ideas and change."

Cyrus could only shake his head. "I'm sorry, sir."

Fitz looked up, surprised. "Sorry for what, Cy?"

"How we ended up here. I was so power hungry that I missed so much. I missed that Rowan was Liv's father. I should have known something wasn't right there. I missed Verna's attempt on your life and how crazy Billy Chambers was. I'm sorry that I was so focused on myself and the power I wanted that I missed all of that."

"Cy, we all made mistakes. It's funny how getting what you want shows you who you really are."

Cyrus leaned back into the plush seat. "Yeah, I guess it does. To be honest with you, I'm not okay with the reflection looking back at me."

Fitz took another look at the aging man. "Cy, that doesn't sound like you."

"Yeah well, the heart attack made me reevaluate some things. Things like my age and how many years I have left. Life really is too short. I have a perfectly wonderful family at home, and up until recently I've been ignoring them in pursuit of other things."

Fitz nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get that. I've been doing the same thing to certain extent. I'm still doing it really."

"Sir, you are a great president. I think Liv and the kids would understand if you wanted to run for and complete your second term."

Fitz drummed his fingers on the desk. "Of course they would. But you just said it yourself; life is short. It'd be wonderful if I could have the guarantee that my relationship with Olivia and the kids would be as strong as it is now, four and a half years from now, but I can't."

Cy was perplexed. "Sir, you have everything you've ever wanted. Why is this coming up now?"

Fitz paused a moment before drawing in a long breath of air and shrugging. He shook his head. "I don't know. It feels like everything is too perfect you know? Like at any moment the other shoe is going to drop and Cy, I'm not willing to let my family go this time."

* * *

Olivia paused outside her office. She'd just come from fixing herself a cup of green tea but something didn't feel right. She placed her hand on her belly and took a deep breath. Quinn, who was coming from the rest room noticed the look and the movement.

"What's wrong?"

Olivia looked up, startled. "It's nothing. Nothing. I'll just go have a seat and put my feet up for a few minutes and it should pass." She pasted a smile on her face and moved toward her office chair.

"But, you really don't look good. Maybe we should go see your doctor, just in case."

"Quinn, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Quinn knew enough not to push Olivia when she was digging her heels in so she left to get reinforcements.

A few moment later Olivia was sitting at her desk trying to catch her breath when she heard the noise at her office door.

"Go away."

The door opened and all of her gladiators were standing somewhere between the hallway and her office.

She took a deep breath. "Go away. I'm fine."

"Liv," Harrison started.

"No. I'm fine. I just need a moment."

"Olivia, you look like you're about to fall over." Abby took a step closer with concern on her face.

With some trouble, Olivia managed to sit up a little straighter. "It's nothing. I just need to rest for a moment."

"Fine," Abby moved even closer, "then humor us. Just go get checked out."

"People…"

"Liv, you look bad." Stephen placed his hands on her desk and looked into her eyes.

She got nods from the rest of the team to confirm their consensus. She didn't feel great but thought she wouldn't get anything done for the rest of the afternoon unless she went to see her OB/GYN doctor.

"Fine, I'll just call and let them know…"

"I'll take care of that," Quinn helped pull her up and grabbed her bag on the floor and handed it to Abby.

"I'll drive," Harrison left to pull the car around.

"I call shotgun," Abby smiled and took Olvia's other arm.

""I'll hold the fort down," Stephen touched her hand as the other gladiators rushed her to the elevator.

Olivia turned just as the elevator doors opened. "Stephen, Huck…"

"Will be in later this afternoon, I know. I'll talk to him and let him know what's going on around here."

She nodded as the doors closed.

On the way to the doctor's office, she couldn't help but think how happy she'd been last week when Fitz called off her detail. He would have probably met her at the doctor's office if he'd known what was going on right now. Harrison guided the car smoothly as Abby tried to keep her distracted with talk about cases from the office. They arrived a short while later and whatever Quinn had told the nurse on call, had Olivia being ushered into a room right after she signed her name on the login sheet. She only had to wait a few minutes before her doctor stepped through the door.

He took in her pallor and body language and reached for his stethoscope. "Olivia, what brings you in today?"

She offered a slight smile. "Some of my co-workers insisted that I come in to see you today. I told them it was probably nothing, but they almost mutinied, so I surrendered."

He only nodded before placing the stethoscope on her chest. "Take a deep breath for me please."

She did as she was told and looked up to see a frown form on his face. "How long have you been dealing with this shortness of breath?"

He tried to keep his tone professional, but she heard a hint of accusation.

"Only a few weeks, off and on. I figured it was just the extra weight gain."

He only murmured a non-committal "mmhmm" in response. Next he grabbed the arm cuff and proceeded to take her blood pressure. When he got the final numbers, he removed the cuff and placed it back on the wall.

"See? Nothing to worry about, right? They were over exaggerating. " She knew her voice sounded shaky, but the look on his face was making her nervous.

"They were not over exaggerating. Your blood pressure is through the roof and I'm guessing the shortness of breath is due to the anemia you struggled with early in the pregnancy. You need to give them all raises. There's a good chance the baby wouldn't have made it if they hadn't brought you in here."

"What?" Olivia felt like she had just been punched.

"I'm going to go call and have you admitted. They'll have a room prepared at the hospital tonight for you and maybe tomorrow depending on what your test results look like."

She was still in shock, but the fixer in her wouldn't let it rest. She tried the diplomatic voice she used on all her clients "Doctor, is this really necessary?"

"Only if you want your baby to live through the night."

* * *

Fitz hung up the phone and shook his head. He was sure that trying to convince congress to go to war against a rogue nation would be the death of him. One man set on destroying his own countrymen, and no one country was willing to stand up to him. It was amazing how many congressmen and women were ready to turn their heads and look the other way because the people who were dying weren't Americans. The same thing happened during the holocaust, but no one stood up to the madman until it was too late. It took a world war to bring that one man down.

"How soon we forget," Fitz muttered to himself. He'd been in the situation room for most of the day and evening. The kids had turned in long ago and he thought he'd better catch Liv before she went to sleep as well, if it wasn't already too late.

He took the short walk back to the residence and looked in on the kids before moving toward his own room. Once he was sure the line was secure, he dialed Liv's apartment. He loosened his tie and leaned back into the headboard intending to say a quick goodnight and let her get some rest, but by the fifth unanswered ring he began to worry.

Fitz hung up the phone and sat up quickly looking for the small clock on his night stand. "She wouldn't still be at the office at 10:30 would she?" He mumbled the question to himself, but he already knew the answer. He swiftly dialed her cell phone intending to give her an earful about working too much, but panic set in when she didn't answer either phone. He stood and called her office phone and by the third ring with no answer he was pacing and already formulating a plan to have agents go to her apartment and office in the next hour as well as track her cell phone signal.

"Hello?" The soft voice was rushed, like she was in the middle of something, but Fitz recognized the intonation belonging to the young woman Hollis had framed for the murder of her boyfriend.

"Um, hello." Fitz was so caught off guard by someone else answering Olivia's phone that he stumbled.

Quinn recognized the voice immediately and shifted her cadence into high gear. "Hi, don't say anything because it's been a little hectic around here today and we haven't had time to do our regular sweep of the office, but you might want to head over to James Madison Health Center, Room 812."

Fitz tried to capture the words that were flying at him like bullets, but his mind didn't want to accept that something could be wrong with Livy or the baby. "So…"

"Mmmhm. 812. Right now sir."

"Thanks." He slammed the phone down and ran out in search of Tom.

Thirty-five minutes later he burst through the door of Liv's hospital room and took his first deep breath of the night. The overhead lights were off, but there was one small lamp on resting against the far wall. She was looking out the window but locked eyes with him through his reflection in the glass that made up a large part of the outside wall. He could see the tears glistening in her reflection before she turned to face him.

"Hi."

She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came; much like the last time he'd come to this place to see her after she was attacked.

He didn't know what was wrong, but her expression had him worried. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but her silence was making it hard not to. Fitz eased his shoes off and slid into the small bed with her, wrapping his arms around her as she disintegrated in his arms. She cried herself dry and when no more tears came, he just held her. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but he didn't care. As long as she was okay, he was okay. Hopefully nothing had happened to the baby, but he hoped they could try again later if it had.

"I almost killed our child," she whispered into his chest.

He pulled back slightly to look at her, but she wouldn't move her face away from his shirt. "The baby…?"

"Is fine, no thanks to me." She noticed the long breath he pushed out as he held her closer. "They're going to take her in the morning."

"We're having a girl?" Fitz allowed himself a small smile.

"Yes, but she's in distress, or she was until they stabilized her this afternoon. They think it would be safer to deliver her tomorrow morning than let her stay in."

"Are they sure, because I can get another team of doctors to have second opinions in here by morning."

Liv sniffled before she looked up at him. "They already consulted with another team. My water broke shortly after I arrived and my dilation barely progressed today. I'll be having a c-section at 7:00 o'clock in the morning."

"Okay. Did they say what caused it?"

"Me."

"Livy, you didn't purposely put the baby in danger."

"No, but it's still my fault. Anemia and pre-eclampsia put her in distress."

He kissed the top of her head. "But they caught it in time. So when are we going to meet Emi Grace?"

When she looked up without saying anything, he moved a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. "We're still going with Emi Grace, right?"

She nodded absently, "yes, but you can't be here."

"Yeah, I can and I will." He got the look on his face he always got when preparing for a fight.

"Fitz…"

"No. I haven't missed one of my children's births yet, and I'm not going to start now."

"But, Fitz…"

"Hush, woman." He kissed her to stop the talking. "I'm going to be there and that's final."

"But what will we say?"

"I don't care, that I'm subbing for Jake or whatever we have to, but I'm not missing this. No way, no how."

"Thank you." Tears overcame her once again and she turned her body completely into his. A few minutes later he heard her breathing even out. He pulled back slightly to make sure she was sleeping and when he saw that she was asleep, he eased out of the bed and walked out into the hallway. He walked past Tom and Hal and into a waiting room several yards away. Pulling out his cell phone, he punched in Cyrus' number and waited.

"Hello?"

"Cy, it's me. I won't be able to make it in tomorrow until at least noon."

"Is everything alright sir?"

Fitz took a deep breath and prepared for an argument. "Liv's c-section is scheduled for tomorrow morning."

"I see."

"Cyrus, I'm not missing this. Rearrange whatever you need to."

Cyrus took a breath himself. "No problem sir, I'll take care of it. I understand."

Fitz raised his eyebrows and waited but Cyrus said nothing else. "That's all you're going to say?"

"Yes sir. We will expect to see you around noon. I'll push your first appointment back to 1:00 p.m."

"So, seriously Cyrus, you're really starting to freak me out."

Cyrus looked down at Ella who'd just fallen asleep after a particularly fussy night. "Like I told you, sir, life is short. You enjoy the birth."

"Thank you Cyrus."

"And sir?"

"Yeah, Cy, what is it?"

"Congratulations sir."

Fitz smiled. "Thanks. Goodnight Cy."

"Good night sir."

* * *

Exactly eight hours later Fitz stood by Liv's bedside holding the latest addition to his family. She was a perfect combination of both parents. He cooed her name as heavy honey colored lids parted to reveal cloudy grey eyes. They tried to focus on the voice near her ear.

Olivia tried to keep her tears in check as she observed father and daughter. "Fitz, let her sleep. She's had a rough morning. Being ripped out of a nice, warm cocoon can be very tiring."

"I know, you're right, but she's just so beautiful. I can't take my eyes off of her."

"You're going to have to let her go soon enough, anyway. They only brought her in here for a few moments. They want to get her back into the incubator soon."

A soft knock on the door interrupted them. Fitz invited whoever it was into the room, knowing that Tom and Hal had already checked them out. It turned out to be Ms. Lawrence, one of the nurses that had worked closely with Jake when he had been admitted.

Olivia smiled, brightly, genuinely happy to see the woman. "Nurse Lawrence, come in please."

The older woman came in and set down a small basket with things for the baby and for Olivia.

"These are from the nurses in the rehab unit. When we heard you'd been admitted, we wanted to get you something."

"Thank you so much. That was very kind of you all. Thank the others for me please."

"Oh, of course. I was hoping to catch Captain Ballard, but I see he's not here."

Liv pasted on a smile. "Ah, right. He was away on assignment, and this all happened so quickly."

"Oh, I understand. He must be heartbroken now, though. May I see the baby?"

"Sure, ah you know President Grant?"

"Oh, yes of course. President Grant, it's an honor sir."

Fitz tore his eyes away from little Emi just in time to see the woman stretch out her arms.

"Fitz, make sure you support her neck and head when you hand her to Ms. Lawrence."

He'd been so enraptured by the sight of his daughter that everything else had faded to the background, including the conversation about handing the baby over. "What?" He glanced between the two women.

Olivia downplayed the smile that formed on her lips. "Hand Emi over to Nurse Lawrence, but make sure you support her head and neck."

"Oh." The look on his face was enough to make both women giggle.

Nurse Lawrence oohed and ahhed over the baby for several moments. She was just about to hand the little one back to Olivia when another knock was heard at the door.

Jake popped his head in a moment later and was met by two blank stares and one glowing smile.

"Captain Ballard!" Nurse Lawrence was beaming. "It's so good to see you. I was afraid you were going to miss the entire hospital stay. You should come in here and lay claim to your daughter before the President steals her."

The jolly nurse missed the look that passed between the other three adults in the room when she turned her eyes back to the baby. "Can't say I blame him though, she is an absolute doll."

Jake positioned his smile and walked into the room. "Yeah, the news has already broke, and since I was in his neck of the woods, a certain Texas business man with ties to this administration, insisted on flying me back on his private jet so I wouldn't miss another moment. Jake laid a kiss on Olivia's temple and murmured "congratulations sweetheart," just loud enough for the nurse to hear. Then he straightened up and extended his hand across Liv's bed. "Mr. President, It's good to see you again."

"Jake." Fitz didn't trust himself to say much more than that as he watched the nurse hand little Emi over to Jake.

"Wow," Jake whispered in awe. "Aren't you a beautiful girl. You look like your mommy." He kissed her forehead gently and stared briefly before running his finger over her cheek.

The nurse watched the interaction for another minute before excusing herself. "I've been gone much too long already. I better get back to my floor before they send out search and rescue to look for me. Mr. President, it was an honor, sir. Captain Ballard and Ms. Pope, you made a beautiful little angel. God bless your family."

After everyone bid her goodbye, Nurse Lawrence disappeared out the door. Jake handed the baby back to Olivia before turning to Fitz.

"Sir, may I see you for a moment?"

Fitz gave Liv's shoulder a slight squeeze before nodding his consent. He moved toward the door as Jake reached for Olivia's hand. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks Jake."

He smiled. "You're welcome, and just a heads up, my mother and father heard about your labor and delivery on the news. They'll probably be calling soon."

Olivia looked down at the baby and chuckled. "Okay. I'll give them a call later today."

Jake led Fitz back to the waiting room, away from the agents posted at the door.

Fitz poured himself a cup of coffee while Jake took a seat. "So this is a surprise."

Jake nodded. "For me as well. I'm glad Liv and the baby are well."

Fitz returned the nod. "What's going on Jake? You look troubled about something."

"Sir, I think I may have found your leak."

* * *

**Okay Gladiators, that's it for now. I went back and forth about whether to make the baby a girl or a boy, and the day I was typing that section, I logged onto a website to get some ideas for baby names and Emi was their name of the day. I figured it was fate, especially since we're wishing the best to Kerry and Dan on their Emmy nominations. Also, I think I may have only one more update left before we're done with this story. (And then maybe an epilogue) Anyway, thanks so much for sticking with me, but we only have one more month left before the show premieres, and I want to leave myself plenty of time to obsess over the real thing, so it's time to bring this little tale to an end. (Unless of course Shonda and the Scandal writers send me back here to therapy) ;-)**

**Have a good rest of your week Gladiators!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello fellow Gladiators! Thanks so much for the feedback on the last chapter and the baby's name. I know most of you weren't excited to see Jake, but that was actually one of the three or so scenes that popped in my head when the story first formed. Olitz fans shouldn't worry though, I've handled it in this chapter. For those who are interested, the name Emi (not short for Emily) is of Japanese origin and it means "Blessing, Favour, Beautiful." **

**Also, I wanted to send a quick shout out to some very special gladiators. Your consistent reviews made me want to continue writing. Over the last few months, I've laughed and gushed at your reviews. I always looked forward to reading them. I really want to think everyone, but I don't have enough room. I just wanted to point out these gladiators for reviewing every week (or at least very often), so thank you (in no special order):**

**Freckled98**

**Chocolate1**

**Lagub**

**TVisForever**

**Clio1792**

**Oceans00711girl**

**LoreneMichelle41**

**BeckyPo**

**ScandalOlitz4Ever**

**Starinthem**

**KMeki**

**Mmrb0908**

**AuntDee94**

**Kelsey**

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**Alexindigo**

**Gerriv**

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**Cooplotte**

**Jazzphace**

**SoVeryKerry**

**If I missed your name, please forgive me, but know that I appreciate every single review that was written, as well as all the follows and favorites.**

**Alright, here's your final chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

"I think I may have found your leak." Jake stared at Fitz without blinking.

Fitz stopped the coffee cup that was headed toward his mouth. "Are you sure or is this speculation?"

Jake took a deep breath. "I was ninety-nine percent sure yesterday. Today, I'm one hundred percent sure."

"Why's that?"

"That business man that insisted I rush back for the birth of my child…?"

Fitz frowned. "Yeah?"

"It was Hollis Doyle."

Fitz took a seat as he pondered this latest development. Hollis had proven himself to be nothing more than a blood-sucking sycophant over the last few years, but Fitz never would have thought he'd betray his own country and countrymen to make more money, especially since he was one of the richest men on the planet already. "But, why would he… He has no reason to…"

"It's greed plain and simple. Honestly, I've never seen anything like it. He hoards money like it's in danger of extinction. He's beyond rich but he goes out on limb at least once a day to make sure he has more than he had the day before."

"But are you sure? Do you have proof?"

"Unfortunately, yes. When the trail of evidence started pointing toward him, I showed up at his office door last week and told him I had a few questions about some of his colleagues. He was a little jumpy, but he recognized me from the white house and told me to make myself comfortable. He let me set up in an empty office a few floors below his. It should be noted that there were a few cameras in that office. Anyway, I had just managed to hack into his security system this morning when he burst through the door telling me he had a plane fueled up and ready to go to get me back to see Liv and the baby. I was able to leave the program running and by the time I'd landed, it told me everything I needed to know. He's got blood all over his hands."

Fitz shook head trying to get his thoughts together. This didn't look good for anyone. If Hollis was arrested, he may start talking about Defiance and election rigging to buy himself a shorter sentence, unless…

"Okay, bring him in… under the patriot act."

Jake's eyebrows rose slightly. "Okay... No due process for him."

Fitz's lips were drawn into a thin line as he nodded his confirmation.

* * *

James came in from his morning run and slammed the front door. "Bunch of hateful bigots," he murmured under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Cyrus rounded the corner as he straightened his tie.

"That pre-school I was so excited about, the one that was a straight shot into the private prep schools that led to ivy league colleges?"

Cyrus frowned. "Yeah? What about it?"

"They're a bunch of bigots!"

Cy frowned again. In this day and age? "Are you sure?"

James spun around, his eyes about to pop out of his head. "Oh, I'm sure. Everything was fine on the phone, even if she did hesitate a moment when I said I had a husband. 'That's fine Mr. Novak, no problem Mr. Novak. Just bring your daughter in and we'll make room for her.' I show up yesterday afternoon with Ella and all of a sudden they have no more room and won't be able to accept her for this term or the next. They know she has to be enrolled somewhere within a year, they just wanted to make sure it wasn't with them." He took another calming breath. "There's no use getting upset now. She's obviously better off away from there. I'm going to go get ready for work." He placed a kiss on Cy's cheek. "I'll see you tonight."

Cyrus nodded absently. "Honey, what's the name of this place?"

James snorted on his way out the room. "The sunshine academy… Sunshine academy my ass."

The nanny walked out of the kitchen just then holding Ella. The baby smiled as she spotted Cyrus. "Pa pa pa!"

He smiled and walked over to her before stretching his hands out. She gladly leapt into them, leaving the nanny.

"Mr. Beene, do you have a minute? I just need to run back and grab her pacifier before she gets her bath."

"Yeah, sure, no problem." He waited for the nanny to clear the door before he lifted Ella up to his eye level. "Sweet pea, you're going to have to let the paci go soon because you're getting bigger, okay?"

"Paci!"

He laughed as she looked around for the missing object. "You are going to be the next Olivia Pope, so you don't need that Sunshine Academy. We'll find you some place better. Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

Three days later, Huck walked into OPA in his boots, old black jeans and plaid, flannel shirt, glad to be free of the suit and tie he'd been sporting over the last few weeks. He really had no intention of remaining as the head of B613, he just wanted to make sure that Rowan was taken care of. Now that he was, Huck felt like he could get back to what he did best – gladiating.

Quinn was the first to spot him walking out of the elevator. She took in his appearance and his demeanor and smiled.

"Welcome back."

"Thanks. It's good to be back."

"So, the agency head thing is …"

"Over. I'm back for good."

"Good." Quinn nodded and smiled again as she ducked into her office.

Huck slid into his own office and reacquainted himself with his surveillance equipment. He was only there a moment before Harrison stuck his head into the door.

"Hey, welcome back."

"Thanks."

"We're all going over to the hospital tonight to visit Liv and the baby. She's supposed to be checking out in the morning, so we want to get over there tonight. You wanna come with?"

"Um, yeah, sure. What time?"

"We're all going to take a break and meet up there about 6:30."

"Okay. That'll work."

* * *

"Aww, look at how beautiful she is." Quinn gushed over the bundle in her arms. "We're going to have so much fun when you get older," she cooed. "We're going to go to the mall and the gun range, and the home improvement store."

Harrison coughed to cover the laugh that escaped when Olivia's eyes narrowed at the newest gladiator. He reached for the baby. "Here, let me hold her." He looked down at the beautiful little girl and smiled. "You're going to be too busy at debate club and toastmasters to be worried about the home improvement store, aren't you Emi."

The baby's only response was a stretch and a yawn.

"Oh, you're boring her. Let me hold her," Abby cradled the baby's head as Harrison transferred her over. "You don't want to go to any stinky debate club do you? Not when we can be in the kitchen baking cookies and cakes after school, right Snookums?"

"You do know that childhood diabetes is an epidemic in this country don't you?" Steven saddled up next to Abby and reached for the baby. When he finally got her settled, he took a good look. "My goodness, you're a beauty." He looked up at Liv and smiled. "You're going to be in a lot of trouble in about fifteen or sixteen years. I would tell you to plan for extra security, but between Huck and her daddy, I'm thinking they probably already have it covered."

A low rumble of knowing chuckles filled the room as the others nodded in agreement. Stephen handed the baby back to Liv. She kissed the small forehead then looked over to Huck. "Huck, did you want to hold her?"

He shook his head no, but he stepped closer to Olivia's bedside. He bent down and laid a kiss on Emi's temple. "Hi, Emi, I'm you're Uncle Huck."

The little girl, who up until that point had had her eyes closed, struggled to open them. Olivia watched her daughter as her young eyes took in the man in front of her. Olivia smirked. The baby probably couldn't even focus, but the bond that had just instantaneously formed between her and Huck was undeniable.

"Like mother, like daughter," she murmured into the baby's ear before kissing her again.

The gladiators said their goodbyes after a few more minutes then left the mother and daughter alone in the quiet room.

Liv let the baby nurse for a while before burping her. When it looked like she was wide awake, Olivia decided to talk her to sleep.

"So, those were your aunties and uncles. They're a little crazy, but they're all good people, and they're going to look out for you from now on. So don't try to fight them on it, okay, because they've already saved your life once. And seeing how've you've only been on the planet less than a week, I'd say that was a pretty good average."

She laughed when the baby made a face that looked like she understood.

"I see your dad and I are going to have our hands full."

* * *

"Cyrus, I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you did the other day. I really needed to be there." Fitz was so grateful that he'd gotten to witness the birth of his youngest child.

"It was no problem sir. Like I said. Life is too short."

Fitz laughed. "It's hard to believe a cat as old as you can change his spots, but the proof is right before my eyes."

"I'm a new man, sir."

Fitz clapped him on the back as they walked out of the oval office. With the mole out of business, he'd be able to spend more time with his family. "Looks like it. I'm going to go have dinner with the kids and then go see Liv late tonight."

Cy nodded. "Alright, sir, you have a good night."

"You too, Cy, or should I say new man."

Cyrus laughed along with the inside joke and waited until Fitz was out of sight before sauntering back to his own office. He picked up the phone and pushed a few buttons before taking a seat behind the desk. He hummed a happy tune as he waited for the phone to be answered. When it was finally picked up, Cy went into overdrive.

"Where are we on the Sunshine Academy?"

He waited a beat before he continued. "I want them destroyed by the end of the week! Do you understand? I want them obliterated off the face of the map. They are a blight on this great city and this great nation and they should be annihilated!"

* * *

"You look tired." Liv noted the lines around Fitz's eyes and mouth.

"Yeah, it was sort of a long day."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that your youngest daughter stayed up just to see you."

Fitz frowned. "You're kidding right?" He walked closer and saw that Emi was indeed awake. "What in the world is she doing up?"

He reached down and lifted her from Liv's lap. He peppered her little face with soft kisses before taking a seat in the chair next to Liv's bed.

"Why are you wide awake little girl? Don't tell me you've inherited my penchant for very little sleep."

Olivia smiled. "I think she has. Either that, or she's a night owl. She took a catnap a while ago, but she's been up for a while. It's like she knew you were coming." She glanced over at the baby who staring up at her daddy with wide eyes and an open mouth.

Olivia could only shake her head. _Like mother, like daughter, _she thought.

"What?" Fitz noticed the movement out the corner of his eye.

"Nothing. Just thinking she's going to be a daddy's girl."

"She is absolutely going to be a daddy's girl. Aren't you sweetheart?" Fitz lifted her up for another kiss before he looked over to the love of his life. "So are you ready to be discharged tomorrow? If not, I'm sure we could convince them to let you stay for a few more days."

"Fitz, they are as ready for me to leave as I am ready to go. Having to shut down a whole wing of the hospital is not good for business. And don't think I don't know about the secret service agents wandering around the hospital and surrounding areas at all hours of the night."

"Yeah." He looked down at the baby and then back to Liv. "I'm not going to apologize for that. I've made plenty of enemies. Emi gets as much protection as my other kids, if not more. And considering who her mother is, that shouldn't be a surprise. You've made a few enemies yourself."

Olivia smirked. "I didn't say I didn't appreciate it, just that I noticed it."

"That's because you notice everything. But, seriously, are you ready for tomorrow? Do you need anything?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm covered. My gladiators have already turned my guest room into a nursery and stocked the fridge and freezer with enough food so that I don't have to leave the house before my maternity leave is over."

"Wow. They did the nursery already? I'm sorry I missed that."

Olivia reached for his hand. "I know the circumstances aren't ideal, but things will get better in time."

He wasn't so sure. "Will they?"

A frown marred her face as she studied him. "Of course they will. After your second term we will all be together." She paused when he didn't say anything. "You are going to run again aren't you?"

He stared at the baby for a full minute before answering. One corner of his mouth lifted slightly. "I'm not sure." He cradled the baby as he stood up and proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed. He moved closer to the center when Olivia made room for him.

"What do you want Livy?"

She turned her body toward him and supported her head with her right hand. She made sure their eyes connected when she said, "I want you to be happy. What do you want?"

He kissed her slowly and softly. "I want you to be happy. Tell me what you want Livy."

Liv took a deep breath. "I want us to be together, but I'm okay with that happening slowly as opposed to immediately."

He nodded. "I want to run again, but I want my family more. The thought of you raising my child as someone else's just doesn't sit right with me."

"Fitz, Jake is not going to be a problem."

He laughed lightly. "I know he's not. He's leaving for Puerto Rico tonight."

"What?"

He shifted the baby when she fussed and looked back to Olivia. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about my busy day. Jake found out that Hollis Doyle was the mole."

"Are you serious?" She tried to sit straight up but then winced in pain as the incisions made during her c-section quickly let her know that wasn't a smart move.

He sat up and looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

When she didn't say anything but only nodded faintly, he tucked the baby in his arm like a football and moved off the bed intending to go find a doctor.

"Fitz," it was barely above a whisper, but it was enough to get his attention. When he turned to look at her, she reached out her hand. "Don't. I'm okay. I just moved too fast."

"Are you sure?" He spied her other hand as it moved to the sore spot to apply pressure.

She nodded again and stretched her hand out further. "Yes. Come back."

Fitz placed the sleeping baby in the bassinet on the far side of the bed and crawled in next to Liv. He placed one hand over the one covering her abdomen and slid his other arm underneath her to wrap her tight.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes. Now tell me about Hollis and Jake."

"Well, the day you gave birth, Jake discovered that Hollis was the mole. He'd placed some type of hacking software in Hollis' company server before he left and it confirmed that Hollis was guilty, but Jake didn't know it until he landed. I told him to have Hollis brought in, but by the time He'd sent agents out to the office. Hollis was gone. He'd disappeared on his private plane, no doubt to a country without U.S. extradition."

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow. Of course all of his U.S. assets are frozen, but that hardly matters. I'm sure he has enough money tucked away in off shore accounts to live comfortably for the rest of his life."

Olivia chuckled. "Don't we all. And why is Jake headed to Puerto Rico?"

"Well, your friend Huck turned in his resignation the other day, and I needed someone to run B613. I offered the position to Jake with the condition that B613 headquarters be moved outside of the D.C. metro area. He chose Puerto Rico."

She tilted her head back so that she could get a good look at him. It was the only wayshe could see him in their current spooning position. "Was this another move made by 'determined Fitz'?"

"Mmhmm, yep. Sure was."

She giggled and turned her head back toward the front and away from him. "I spoke to Jake's parents today."

He stayed quiet as she paused a moment. "How did that go?"

"I told them the truth," she said quietly. "That Jake and I had been seeing each other, but the baby wasn't Jake's. I offered to have them still be a part of her life, but I don't know how that's going to turn out."

"How'd they take it?"

She looked back again. "Not that well, but they'll get over it. I'm just tired of all the lies, you know?"

He bent to kiss her cheek. "I know. I am too. But I also know that I love you more than anything, so whatever we have to do, whatever I have to do for us to be together, I'm going to do it."

Olivia tilted her head so their lips could connect. "I love back, more than anything."

* * *

**Alright Gladiators, that's it for this week. Stay tuned for the epilogue where your questions will be answered. Special shout out to the Gladiator who set up the #Scandal Season 3 Premiere countdown clock at . At the time I finished this chapter, we had 22 days, 10 hours and 7 minutes left before the season 3 premiere. I'll have the epilogue (a.k.a. fluff) done by then, but just wanted to say thank you again for all the support you've shown for this story. I know where to come next time the Scandal writers throw me for a loop. ;-)**

**Have a good rest of your week.**


	20. Short & Fluffy (Epilogue)

**Wow, Gladiators, it's been a long summer, but we only have 11 more days until our Season 3 premiere! The fluffy epilogue for this story is below, and I hope you enjoy it. Also, Congrats to our James (Dan Bucatinsky) who won the first Scandal Emmy!**

* * *

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may salute your bride."

The veil was lifted to reveal a stunning face.

"Kim, I love you so much," Huck whispered.

For her part, Kim was all tears. Their son, who was as big, if not bigger than Huck, stood off to the corner with a half smile. It had taken years to get his family to the point where they would trust him again, but Huck had done it at the prompting of Olivia. He looked over Kim's shoulder and gave Olivia Grant a quick wink before kissing his wife.

Fitz leaned over and dabbed his wife's eyes with a handkerchief out of his breast pocket before kissing her temple. "Kind of reminds me of our wedding," he whispered.

Olivia looked up at him and smiled. A movement near the front caught her eye and she turned her head in that direction. Her lips stretched out into a thin line as she eyed their daughter. A flick of the wrist and 'the look' had Emi Grant standing up straight. Fitz chuckled. "That bottom lip is about to fall off."

Olivia raised one eyebrow in Emi's direction to make sure the little girl stayed rooted in place. "No it's not. She's about at her limit, but I think they'll make."

Huck finished the kiss then picked Kim up before swinging her around. The new bride let out a delighted squeal before giggling. Emi laughed at her new aunt, and Olivia sighed with relief when Huck grabbed Kim's hand and ran down the white strip of cloth laid out on her lawn. Emi and the rest of the wedding party followed. They were allowed a short break before the wedding photographer corralled them for group shots.

Liv and Fitz had been touched and honored when Huck asked them to hold the ceremony in their back yard. He'd brought Kim over a few times and she had fallen in love with the place. Fitz had found the large Virginia home shortly after leaving office and surprised Olivia with a long drive and the keys to the palatial place on a starry Saturday night.

During the ceremony the bride and groom, along with the wedding party stood under the large gazebo next to the little lake that that was part of Fitz and Olivia's back yard. It was that part of the yard that Kim favored the most. Harrison and David stood with Huck while Quinn and Abby stood with Kim to make up the wedding party. Olivia and Fitz supplied the flower girl and ring bearer. Although, little Emmanuel Grant was fast asleep on his Uncle Harrison's shoulder at the moment, he did what he was supposed to do, Olivia thought. She smiled when she thought back to just last night at the rehearsal dinner. Manny had jumped around all night and then was too tired to follow his sister down the aisle. They pled, coaxed, and then finally bribed the little boy until he did what they asked. Today, he walked next to Emi with no problems. He lasted about twenty minutes before he started getting cranky and Harrison had to pick him up and hold him through the rest of the ceremony.

Olivia looked around and smiled. Everything and everyone had turned out okay. Stephen and Georgia sat a couple of rows behind her. They had reconciled only a year after Stephen had returned to D.C. Apparently, the guy Georgia thought she was so in love with turned out to be a bum. Stephen took her back gladly and they moved back to D.C. a few years ago. David and Abby were scheduled to be married in approximately fourteen months. _Unless they break up before then_, Olivia laughed to herself. It seemed they broke up at least quarterly. Quinn had found a nice, normal young man and married him last year. She confided in Olivia when she arrived that she and the new hubby were expecting. She said she would tell everyone else later, but the day belonged to Kim and Huck. Quinn's father had finally broken down and reached out to her. He and his wife sat in the back of the church during Quinn's wedding, but at least he had come and it had made Quinn happy. Harrison was even seeing someone new. He had brought her to the wedding and allowed the other gladiators to meet her for the first time.

Olivia even heard through the grapevine that Jake was recently engaged to lovely girl who also happened to be a top-notch assassin. She took a breath. Everything thing had turned out fine, and she had worried for nothing.

Fitz had run for his second term and won by a landslide, but managed to convince Liv to take back her old position of Communications Director at the White house. They executed her original plan and leaked to the press that she and Jake were splitting up the year Emi turned two. Two years later, about three months before leaving office, Fitz married Olivia in a nationally televised special that had the highest ratings of any television show in history. They kept Emi out of the spotlight, because as her gladiators pointed out, Olivia was just an incubator. They often told her that other than imparting a little melanin to her daughter, it looked like Fitz could have given birth to the child.

She had his eyes that changed from blue to grey depending on what kind of mood she was in, his temperament and his height. "Any monkey with a camera could tell that Emi is Fitz's daughter," as Abby so plainly stated. While he was in office, they only released profile shots of Emi or ones where her face was partially covered, and always with her eyes closed; and those were few and far between. All the staff at the white house knew little Emi's parentage, but they remained loyal without having to be asked, because they loved seeing father and daughter together. It was obvious to everyone that Emi adored her daddy and everyone knew the little girl had Fitz wrapped around her finger. Emi knew it as well and worked it to her advantage on most days. Everyone who saw the pair together remarked on how much Emi looked like Fitz.

Although Fitz pointed out to anyone who would listen that little Emi had her mother's mouth, literally and figuratively. Her lips were shaped just like Olivia's. The little girl had even perfected the lip quiver that Fitz could never seem to say no to. Emi had also been in trouble on several occasions for something or other that came out of her mouth. She had her mother's quick wit and sharp tongue and Olivia wondered how they were ever going to make it through her teen years.

Gerry had graduated high school the year before last and was attending college in the northeast, and Karen was due to graduate in a few weeks.

Even Mellie had turned out alright. She eventually married her lover and they seemed happy in the pictures that the press took often. She would be making her bid to run for President in the next election and Cyrus seemed to think she actually had a chance to win. Her work with civil rights over the last several years had secured her position with women's groups and minorities, which were obviously a large segment of the population.

James and Cyrus were doing well, especially now that Cyrus had retired. Ella had just been skipped a grade due to her high test scores, but James confided to Olivia, it was because Cyrus grilled the poor girl every chance he got. James said the only reason he didn't try to intervene, was because Ella seemed to actually enjoy it. She and Teddy were running around somewhere and Olivia had a feeling that they would be as inseparable when they got older as they were now.

Everything had turned out just fine for everyone, except Hollis. They received word on the day that Olivia was released from the hospital with Emi, that Hollis had been found dead off the coast of some Caribbean Island.

"Karma." Was all Cyrus could say, and he and Fitz always swore they had nothing to do with it, but she had her doubts. Maybe not them, but those high up in military intelligence would have been happy to see him dead. Fitz went out of his way to make sure that Hollis' ex-wives and children all received something from the estate, but most of the property and assets belonging to Doyle Industries were seized by the government.

Liv watched as Huck twirled Kim around on the makeshift dance floor and smiled. They'd all come so far. She was about to go look for her children when she noticed that Tom was holding Manny's limp body and walking back toward the house. The running joke around their home was that Manny would grow up to be a Secret Service Agent. He was Tom's little shadow, and into everything. Fitz and Olivia would be enrolling Emi into the first grade in just a few short months and she couldn't believe how fast the last six years had flown by.

Liv was drawn out of her reverie by something being waved in front of her face. She accepted Fitz's hand as it came down to her eye level and rose to allow him to escort her to the dance floor. She had missed most of the reception, reminiscing about the past, but as she looked over her house and yard, covered with white lights and sparkling in the dusk, she could only think that she had a lot more to look forward to in her future.

END

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**There you have it gladiators. Thanks for sticking with the story! Don't forget to watch the Emmy's tonight as we're keeping our fingers crossed for Kerry! Also, if you're on Twitter, swing by and say hi DreyMcK.**

**xoxox**


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